Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/299

 CANO

251

CANO

Castillo. In 1625, when Herrera, the sculptor, was his teacher, he attained great fame by producing three coloured statues, now in the church at Lebrija: "The Virgin and Child", "St. Peter", and "St. Paul". They are all superb pieces of statuary, but the first is a masterpiece, conceived and executed in a noble, classical, simple style that rightly earned for Cano the title of the "Michelangelo of Spain". Besides his single figures in marble, he chiselled many beautiful retables, or monumental altar-pieces.

Cano went to Madrid in 1637, and through the influence of the Duke of Olivarez and of Velasquez. but chiefly because of his own merit, was made Master of the Royal Works, Painter to the King, and first in rank among the instructors of Don Balthasar Carlos. In Madrid he contributed plans for several palaces, city gates, and a triumphal arch for the entrance of Maria Anna of Austria, wife of Philip IV. In 1650 he became architect of the cathedral of Toledo. Cano was suspected of having murdered his wife, and was unjustly condemned and ordered to leave Madrid. He took refuge in Valencia, attained marked success there, painted a "Nativ- ity", and a "St. John " forthe city's great church, and entered the Car- thusian convent, so as to be able to devote himself wholly to painting, which henceforth occupied him to the exclusion of sculpture. Tardy justice was done him when he re- turned to Madrid. Ilr was restored to royal favour, but Cano felt that his only surety was in the Church; therefore he took orders and be- came a resident of Cranada. In 1652 Philip IV appointed him a canon in the cathedral of Granada. To the churches of Granada and Malaga he presented many pictures and statues. A coun- cillor of the former city, having ordered a statue of St. \nthony of Padua from Cano, was charged one hundred doubloons, whereat he demurred, saying that the artist was demanding four pistoles per day for twenty-five days' work, which was more than he, • '.•urn's superior, could earn. "It has taken fifty years of study to produce this!" cried Cano. hurling tin- statue tn the pavement. For this indignity to a saint tended by the Chapter of Granada.

In 1658 tin- king restored Cano, and required him to complete a crucifix which the queen had ordered.

Cano was a greater sculptor than painter, but he would have attained fame as a painter even had he never worked in marble. His earlier work in colour was tentative, eclectic, and of little originality, but ter pictures, which fill the churches of Granada and Malaga, are splendid in drawing, brilliant in a colouring that vividly recalls Van Dyck's, full of imagination, and bold in design. His flesh tints are pure, the pose of his figures is statuesque, the lines are sharp, vigorous, and classical, and he had a pro- found knowledge of chiaroscuro. Cano led an exemplary life, his great fault being his ungovernable temper; he was industrious, studious, and very generous. It is related of him that, often, when he

had no money for alms he would make a drawing for the beggar to sell. His abnormal antipathy to Jews was exemplified on his death-bed when he refused the Sacrament from a priest who had given it to converted Jews. Among his works mention mav be made of: "St. Agnes" (Berlin); "The Dead Christ" (Madrid); "Virgin and Child" (St. Peters- burg);'^. Anthony of Padua" (.Munich); "Madonna and Child", sculpture, in the church of Lebrija (the ancient city of Xebrissa).

HnARn. vie des peinlres espagnols (Paris, 1S39-1841); Tcbixo, El Arte >/ los Artistes contemporaneos en la peninsula (Madrid, 1871); Hku.. Handbook of Painting (London, 1854); Madrazo, Catalogo de los euadros del Museo del Prado de Madrid (Madrid, 1882).

Leigh Hunt.

Cano, Melchior, Dominican bishop and theolo- gian, b. 1 Jan., 1509. at Tarancon. Province of Cuenca. Spain; d. 30 Sept.. 1560, at Toledo. His father, Fer- dinand Cano, a learned jurist, sent him at an early age to the University of Salamanca. There in 1523 he entered the Dominican Order, and was professed at St. Stephen's convent, 12 Aug., 1524. Francis de Victoria, who held the first chair of theology, was his professor from 1527 to 1531. ('ami was then sent to St. Gregory's College at Valladolid, where, with Louis of Granada among others, he heard the lectures of Bartholomew of Carranza. After teaching philoso- phy for a time he became master of students, 1534, and was promoted to the second chair of theology, 1536. The same year the baccalaureate was con- ferred upon him by a general chapter of the order at Rome. In 1512, while attending another general chapter, he was made master of sacred theology, and on his return to Spain obtained the first chair at Aleala. After the death of Victoria, 17 Aug., 1546, Cano was a successful competitor for his chair at Salamanca, and lie held the title until 1552. ICarly in 1551 he was sent by the emperor to the Council of Trent. He was accompanied by Dominic Soto, and, like other members of the order, was enabled by his historical erudition and his mastery of scholastic and positive theology to render important service in the deliberations and achievements of the council. The following year Charles V presented him for the bishopric of the Canary Islands; but a month after he was preconized he resigned. In 1553 he returned to St. Gregory's College at Valladolid as rector, but was not charged with active professorial duties. In 1557, after being elected prior of St. Stephen's at Sala- manca, he was made provincial. This election was contested, and among those who opposed Cano was Carranza. who had become Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain. Another provincial chapter re- newed and confirmed the proceedings of the former, but there-election was annulled by Pope Paul IV, who regarded Cano with disfavour for supporting the Spanish Court in some of its disagreements with the Holy See. On this pontiff's death Cano personally repaired to Rome, and obtained the approbation of his election from the new pope, Pius IV. He re- turned to Toledo in the spring of 1560, and died there the same year.

The character of Cano has been assailed by some writers, who represent him as a man of immoderate zeal and sometimes of intemperate action. He is charged among other things with having been a party to the misfortunes "t Don Carlos and tn the persecu- tions nf Carranza. Against these accusations he is

ably defended by Father Touron, the learned I Ion i mi- cm historian and biographer. Cano undoubtedly displayed great energy, vehemence, ami determina- tion in the pursuit of his aims. Early in his eareerat Valladolid he became involved in scholastic contro- versy with Carranza, and their continuous disputes. besides placing them at the head of rival schools of thought, cast a shadow over all their subsequent rela-