Andalusian School follower of BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO; c. 1800.

Andalusian School follower of BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO; c. 1800.
"Child Jesus as Salvator Mundi".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 63 x 40 cm; 74 x 51 cm (frame).
Devotional image that follows the models of Murillo. The iconography of the representation responds to Christ as "Salvator Mundi", that represents the Christological concept of Jesus Christ, as universal savior, in relation to his role as judge in the Final Judgment and to his character of Redeemer. It is characterized by presenting Christ raising his right hand as a sign of blessing, while holding the orb with the other hand, emphasizing the universal character of Christian doctrine.
Little is known about Murillo's childhood and youth, except that he lost his father in 1627 and his mother in 1628, which is why he was taken under the tutelage of his brother-in-law. Around 1635 he must have begun his apprenticeship as a painter, very possibly with Juan del Castillo, who was married to a cousin of his. This working and artistic relationship would last about six years, as was customary at the time. After his marriage, in 1645, he began what was to be a brilliant career that progressively made him the most famous and sought-after painter in Seville. The only recorded trip he made is documented in 1658, the year in which Murillo was in Madrid for several months. It can be thought that at the 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 of the Royal Palace, a magnificent subject of study for all those artists who passed through the court.