Cristóbal de Villalpando

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For other uses, see Villalpando (disambiguation).
The Lactación de Santo Domingo, painted near the end of the 17th century.

Cristóbal de Villalpando (1649 – 20 August 1714) was a Mexican painter, arts administrator and captain of the guard. He painted prolifically and produced many Baroque works visible in several Mexican cathedrals, including the cathedrals in Querétaro and Mexico City.[1]

Life

Born in Mexico City to the influential Villalpando family, he assumed duties in the local militia as an ensign, as well as painting with Baltasar de Echave Rioja (Echave the Younger) in the Echave workshop.[2] In 1669, he married María de Mendoza, and fathered four children. Early on he received several religious commissions, both in Mexico City and in Puebla. Well preserved are his paintings in the sacristy of the Mexico City Cathedral.

Villalpando rose socially as well as militarily – gaining the rank of captain and several times being the director (veeda) of the painters' guild.[2]

Villalpando's self-portrait appears in his Apparition of Saint Michael on Mount Gargano in the sacristy of the Mexico City cathedral. His portrait is nested among the clergy at the bottom right.[3] He died in Mexico City in 1714 and was buried there.

Style

Villalpando's early works attest to the influence of Peter Paul Rubens;[2] however, as his style continued to develop, he moved away from the extremes of vivid colouring and excessive robustness to a more measured style, using a broad palette and incorporating more of the New World painting traditions.[2] In his later work he moved away from uniform luminosity, employing greater contrast and placing artificial light sources within his paintings to add a touch of drama.[2] His work was much emulated[2]

Villalpando tailored his style to the nature of the work and to its patron. He employed rough blots and smudges to good effect, but used meticulous brushstrokes when required.

Works

Villalpando's early works include a number for the Puebla Cathedral, including a large painting of The Transfiguration – climaxing with the Assumption of the Virgin on the inside of the dome of the apse chapel,[2] which included themes from the eucharist.[3] For the sacristy of the Mexico City cathedral he painted[2]

  • The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant,
  • The Triumph of Religion,
  • The Virgin of the Apocalypse,
  • The Apparition of Saint Matthew Archangel, and others.

Most of Villalpando's portraits have been lost, as well as others of his religious works.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Cristóbal de Villalpando". Retrieved 2008-11-16. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Haces, Juana Gutierrez (2006) "Cristobal de Vallalpando" page 535 In Rishel, Joseph J. and Stratton-Pruitt, Suzanne (editors) (2006) The Arts in Latin America, 1492–1820 Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, ISBN 978-0-300-12003-5
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bargellini, Clara (2006) "Painting in Colonial Latin America" pp. 322–334, page 330, In Rishel, Joseph J. and Stratton-Pruitt, Suzanne (editors) (2006) The Arts in Latin America, 1492–1820 Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, ISBN 978-0-300-12003-5

Further reading

  • Maza, Francisco de la (1964) El Pintor Cristóbal de Villalpando Instituto Nacional de Antoropologia e Historia, Mexico City, OCLC 3012995, in Spanish
  • Soberón, Arturo (1997) Cristóbal de Villalpando: El pincel bien temperado Consejo Nacional Para la Cultura, Mexico City, ISBN 978-968-29-8923-0, in Spanish


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