Against the background of the Counter-Reformation, Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664) succeeded more than virtually any other painter in conveying a mystical conception of belief, by means of his almost hyper-realistic style of painting.
This extensive retrospective at the Museum Kunstpalast will be the first to present the artist in a German-speaking country and to explore the totality of Zurbarán’s career, from his early creations through his later masterpieces. Alongside major works drawn from well-known collections, the show will also include paintings which have never or rarely been presented to the public, as well as new discoveries and recently restored works.
Also, for the first time a selection of eight fascinating still-lifes from the small œuvre of Zurbarán’s highly gifted son Juan de Zurbarán (1620-1649), who trained in his father’s workshop, will be presented.
The exhibition, conceived in close collaboration with the Museo Thyssen-Bornemizsa in Madrid, will comprise some 71 valuable loans from international museums, private collections and Spanish monasteries and churches, including the Cathedral of Seville, the Metropolitan Museum, the Museo del Prado, the National Gallery of Art (Washington), the National Gallery (London) and the Alte Pinakothek.
