Zurbarán, Premiere at the National Gallery

The National Gallery in London presents the first monographic exhibition in the UK dedicated to Francisco de Zurbarán, a Spanish Master of the 17th century. Nearly fifty works, including religious masterpieces and still lifes, reconstruct his career and that of his son Juan. The exhibition reveals the intense spirituality and theatrical realism of one of Europe’s greatest Baroque painters. The exhibition, simply titled Zurbarán, is the first major British tribute to the Spanish artist in more than thirty years. Francisco de Zurbarán, born in Fuente de Cantos in 1598 and active mainly in Seville, is considered one of the leading painters of Spain’s Siglo de Oro. His works, dominated by isolated, solemn figures bathed in dramatic light, have earned him the nickname "The Spanish Caravaggio." A distinctive feature of his style is the combination of mysticism and naturalism, especially evident in the religious scenes intended for convents and monastic orders. The exhibition includes masterpieces such as Saint Francis in Meditation and Saint Margaret of Antioch, alongside rarely exhibited works from the Louvre, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Prado and other important collections. Some paintings have been restored or reassembled for the occasion, offering new interpretations of the artist’s production. Alongside Francisco’s works, the exhibition also features a selection of still lifes by his son Juan, a refined painter who has long remained in the shadows, but is now being re-evaluated for his compositional elegance and quality of light. The exhibition, arranged chronologically and by theme, highlights the centrality of Zurbarán’s spiritual vision, capable of translating the sense of the sacred into images of rare emotional intensity. Curated by specialists from the National Gallery, the Louvre and Chicago, the exhibition is accompanied by a scientific catalogue that brings together new studies, findings and comparisons with other Baroque Masters. This is a unique opportunity to rediscover an artist whose influence spans the centuries and continues to inspire European religious painting.