José Jiménez Aranda

JOSÉ JIMÉNEZ ARANDA (Seville, 1837 - 1903).
After BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682)
"Saint Thomas of Villanova giving alms to the poor".
Oil on canvas.
Signed.
Measurements: 83 x 55 cm, 89 x 60 cm (with frame).

José Jiménez Aranda reproduces in this canvas the famous composition of Murillo, "Santo Tomás de Villanueva giving alms to the poor", work realized around 1668 for the convent of the Capuchins of Seville and conserved at the moment in the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville. The scene presents the saintly archbishop inside an architectural space, surrounded by the poor and beggars, underlining his condition as an alms-giving saint and his charitable dedication.

The work testifies to the deep admiration that the Sevillian 19th century felt for Murillo, who became a reference of local artistic identity and a model of religious sensibility. Jiménez Aranda interprets the scene with remarkable technical solvency, respecting the compositional structure of the original and accentuating its narrative dimension through careful brushstrokes, theatrical lighting and a delicate study of attitudes.

The saint occupies the center of the composition as the moral and visual axis, surrounded by popular figures treated with naturalism and devotional sense. The architectural penumbra, the play of draperies and the alternation of blacks, reds and light flesh tones reinforce the baroque solemnity of the whole.

More than a simple copy, the painting should be understood as a cultured homage to the Sevillian tradition of the Golden Age, carried out by one of the outstanding names in 19th century Spanish painting.

José Jiménez Aranda was one of the leading names in 19th century Sevillian painting. He trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Santa Isabel of Hungary in Seville. During his stay in Rome, he came into contact with Mariano Fortuny, whose influence would mark part of his production. Between 1881 and 1890 he lived in Paris, a period in which he achieved notable success with scenes set in the 18th century. On his return to Spain he focused on genre subjects, without abandoning other genres such as landscape or religious painting. From 1892 he worked as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Seville, where he trained artists such as Eugenio Hermoso and Manuel González Santos.

His career was widely recognized during his lifetime, obtaining honorary mentions at the National Fine Arts Exhibitions of 1864 and 1866, first medal in 1890 and medal of honor at the International Exhibition of Munich in 1883. His work is preserved in institutions such as the Museo del Prado, the Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla and the Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga, in addition to important private collections.