Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/838

 ZURBARAN

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ZURICH

Zurbaran, Francisco, b. in the suburb of Fuente de Cantos in Estramadura, on the boundaries of An- dalusia, Nov., 1598; d. probably at Madrid about 1662. From liis early years he showed great aptitude for drawing. His parents, honest peasants, placed no obstacle to his artistic tastes. While a young boy he frequented the studio of Juan de las Roelas, of whom he became a favourite pupil. It has been claimed that he made the pilgrimage to Italy, but there is no evidence of his having done so.

In 1616, at the age of eighteen, he signed an Im- macidate Conception. This is the only picture of his youth; but it has not been preserved, and we do not find another work of his until 1625. The Marquess de Malagan commissioned him to decorate the retable of San Pedro in the Cathedral at Seville; even in this early work the painter brilhantly displays his power- ful and very individual manner. After the retable of San Pedro he painted for the convent of the Mer- cenarios Descalozos, which was then recently built at Seville, five or six of the twelve pictures which recount the life of St. Peter Nolasco, founder of the Order of Mercy. The others are by his pupil Juan Martinez de Gradillas. The museum of the Prado at Madrid con- tains two of Zurbaran's pictures: the Vision of St. Peter Nolasco and the Apparition of the crucified Prince of the Apostles to St. Peter Nolasco. These two can- vases are remarkable for their serenity, strength, and nobiUty. Zurbaran's vigorous manner, which aimed at fidelity of expression, appear here in bold relief. The success of these pictures at the convent of the Mercenarios was such that the ayutamiento of Seville begged the artist to fix his residence in the capital of Andalusia. It is said that Alonso Cano and the other painters protested, demanding that Zur- baran should be subjected to a preliminary examina- tion according to custom. The latter haughtily re- torted by requesting the municipaUty to declare that the unanimous approval of his works was sufficient evidence of his capacity. Commissions flowed in from all sides. About 1625 he painted several can- vases in honour of St. Bonaventure in the church dedicated to the saint at Seville: St. Bonaventure presiding at the chapter of the Friars Minor; the Burial of St. Bonaventure (now at the Louvre); St. Bona- venture visited by an Angel (Dresden); and St. Bon- aventure showing the crucifix to St. Thomas Aquinas (Berlin). About the same period he began to paint the Apotheosis of St. Thomas Aquinas for the chapel of the college which bore his name. This is the finest of his most beautiful works, and it is certainly one of the highest and noblest productions of the SpanLsh school. It was finished in 1636; it is now at the provincial museum of Seville.

In the same year Zurbaran produced another mas- terpiece, Bl. Alonso Rodriguez (Academy of San Fer- nando, Seville). Between 1633 and 1638 he executed for the Carthusian monaster)' at Xeres a large num- ber of pictures drawn from the Gospels and the life of St. Bruno, which formed a splendid assemblage; they are now scattered (Provincial Musevun of Cadiz, has St. Bruno at prayer, St. Hugh, Bishop of Grenoble, etc.; the Departmental Museum of Grenoble, pos- sesses the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Adora- tion of the Magi). In the centre of a chain of moun- tains covered with oaks and chestnuts which sejiarale Estramadura from C'astile, on a peak less sliarj) than its neighbours, rises the monastery of Ciuadahipe. Belonging to the Order of Ilieronymites this monas- tery was for a long time the centre of a much fre- quented pilgrimage, whither peo])le came to venerate a rnirac\ilous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary which St. Leander, Archljishop of Seville, had brouglit from Rome. In th(? church of this convent, almost in- accessible, is hidden what is "perhajis Zurbaran's most important work" (Lafond, "Ribera et Zur- baran", 100). It consists of thirteen pictures. Two,

representing St. Ildefonso and St. Nicholas of Bari, adorn the side altars at the entrance to the choir. The others relate the Life of St. Jerome. The pic- tures of Guadalupe mark the culminating point of Zurbaran's career. Thenceforth his activity' slack- ened, but still produced masterpieces. About 1650 the Marquess de Campo Alanza commissioned him to paint for the Capuchin convent at Castellon the series of great founders of religious orders from Ehas to St. Ignatius Loyola. These pictures are still in the same place. Zurbaran also composed a very beautiful col- lection of full length portraits of Hieronj-mite monks; these are now scattered (San Fernando Academy, Museum of Pau, Stafford House, residence of the Duke of Sutherland, London). Besides these pic- tures Zurbaran painted a great many pictures of monks at prayer; one of the most striking is the "Kneeling Monk" at the National Gallery.

At the instance of Velazquez, who had been Zur- baran's comrade at SevQle, Philip IV invited Zurbaran to Madrid in 1650 and commissioned him to take part in the decorations of the haU of the Buen Ratio. His share consisted in representing the "Labours of Hercules" in ten pictures; his thoroughly re- ligious talent w-as but little adajjted to mythological conceptions, and after having painted three or four canvases he merely sketched the others, which were completed by his pupils (1658). However, these naked figures are remarkable for correctness of draw- ing and powerful appearance. In 1659 he painted St. Francis of Assisi kneeling (property of Don A. de Beruete). The museum at Buda-Pesth has an Im- maculate Conception painted in 1661, a year before his death. Mention may be made of many other of his works, e. g. Christ crowning St. Joseph (Seville), the Portiuncula (Cadiz), the Blessed Virgin and St. John on Calvary (Munich), a St. Francis of Assisi (Dresden), a St. Lawrence (St. Petersburg), an Adoration of the Shepherds (National Gallery), long attributed to Velazquez, but nov/ commonly restored to Zurbaran.

Vl.\RDOT, Notices sur les principaux peintres de VEspagne (Lon- don. 1S44), 75; Stirunq, Annals of Artists of Spain (London, 184S), 707; Washburn, Spanish Masters, 96; Blanc, Hist, de peintres de ioutes les ecoles: Ecole Espagnole (Paris, 1865-76); Gestoso, Esayo de un Diccionario de las artificies que fiorecieron en Sevilla desde el siglo XIII al XVIII (Seville): de Madrazo, Catatogo de los cuadros del Museo del Prado de Madrid (Madrid, 1882): ViNiEGRA. Catalogo oficial ilustrado de la exposicion de los ohras de Francisco Zurbaran (Madrid, 1905): Lafond, Ribera et Zurbaran (Paris, 1910), 80-129.

G. SORTAIS.

Zurich, the capital of the Swiss canton of the same name which is the second largest and richest of the twenty-five Swiss cantons. The city is the largest in Switzerland, and has 200,000 inhabitants. It has a commanding position on the beautiful outlet of Lake Zurich; to the west and east are the wooded heights of the Uetliberg and Zurichberg. and there is a fine view of the thickly settled and fruitful banks of the lake with handsome villages along the shore; in the background towards the south and south-east is an imposing circle of lofty mountains in Glarus, Schwyz, Noi, etc. The climate is mild and healthful. "The prehistoric history of the city and its vicinity extends back to the Stone Age, the first and second Bronze Age, and the Iron Age, as is proved by the discovery of numerous lake-dwellings and remains of graves. Probaljly even as far back as the time of the ancient Helvetii a town existed on the site of Zurich.

Historically the city first a])))ears under the name of Turicum, during the period of the Roman supremacy in Switzerland at the beginning of the Christian era. Christianity was probably also introduced during this period. According to legend the Faith was brought to Zurich by members of the Theban Legion. Felix, Regula, and Exujierantius are the patron saints of the city. After the Allamani had conquered the north-