Attributed to BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1618-1682).

Attributed to BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1618-1682).
‘Christ Salvator Mundi’.
Oil on copper.
Size: 11 x 9 cm; 27.5 x 25 cm (frame).

The monumentality of the figure and the consistency of the figure that is portrayed through a vaporous brushstroke that creates an almost powdery atmosphere, together with the softening of the gesture and the psychological capture of the protagonist that conveys great tenderness are characteristic of Murillo's painting. It should also be noted that this type of image was a great success among Sevillian society at the time, and its devotional efficacy has remained intact over the centuries. In this type of work, which in many cases was intended for private worship, the artist showed himself to be a true master when it came to combining a wise and delicate style with a gentle and sweet content. However, as he possessed a powerful sense of composition, he endowed them with remarkable monumentality and balance.

Little is known of Murillo's childhood and youth except that he lost his father in 1627 and his mother in 1628, for which reason he was taken into the care of his brother-in-law. Around 1635 he must have begun his apprenticeship as a painter, most likely with Juan del Castillo, who was married to a cousin of his. This working and artistic relationship lasted about six years, as was customary at the time. After his marriage in 1645 he embarked on what was to be a brilliant career that gradually made him the most famous and sought-after painter in Seville. The only trip he is known to have made is documented in 1658, when Murillo was in Madrid for several months. It is conceivable that while at court he kept in touch with the painters who lived there, such as Velázquez, Zurbarán and Cano, and that he had access to the collection of paintings in the Royal Palace, a magnificent subject of study for all the artists who passed through the court.
Despite the few documentary references to his mature years, we know that he enjoyed a comfortable life, which enabled him to maintain a high standard of living and have several apprentices. Having become the leading painter in the city, surpassing even Zurbarán in fame, he was determined to raise the artistic level of local painting. In 1660 he decided, together with Francisco Herrera el Mozo, to found an academy of painting, of which he was the main driving force. His fame spread so far throughout Spain that Palomino states that around 1670 King Charles II offered him the possibility of moving to Madrid to work there as a court painter. We do not know whether this reference is true, but the fact is that Murillo remained in Seville until the end of his life.