Francisco Venegas (c. 1525 – 1594), was a Spanish painter active in Portugal in the last quarter of the sixteenth century. He was one of the most notable

mannerist painters Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...

active in the country during that period.

Early life

Venegas was born in

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

around the year 1525, having practiced the art of jewelry before becoming a painter. He was a student of

Luis de Vargas Luis de Vargas (1502–1568) was a Spanish painter of the late-Renaissance period, active mainly in Seville. He traveled to Rome where he was influenced by Mannerist styles. He painted an altarpiece with multiple panels, including a ''Virgin and C ...

, and spent a period in Rome, where he could observe the Italian Mannerist art of the time, as the works of

Bartholomeus Spranger Bartholomeus Spranger or Bartholomaeus SprangerBartholomeus Spranger
at the

and

Hans Speckaert Hans Speckaert (c. 1540 in Brussels – c. 1577 in Rome), was a Flemish Renaissance painter who was active in Italy. He is known for his portraits, history paintings and his many drawings.Philip I of Portugal Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

. In 1582, he directed the decoration of the ceiling of the church of the

Hospital Real de Todos os Santos The Hospital Real de Todos-os-Santos (''All Saints Royal Hospital'') was a major hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. The hospital was built between 1492 and 1504 and was destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, along with most of the city. It was never f ...

(Royal Hospital of All Saints), but unfortunately this work was lost in a fire in 1601. Around 1590, Venegas was to produce an

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

for the church of the

Monastery of São Vicente de Fora The Church and Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, meaning "Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls", is a 17th-century church and monastery in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is one of the most important monasteries and mannerist buildings in ...

, but this work was never carried out due to slow construction of the church. All that survives of this endeavor is one preparatory drawing, which is stored in the Office of the

National Museum of Ancient Art The Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (; MNAA), also known in English as the National Museum of Ancient Art, is a Portuguese national art museum located in Lisbon. With over 40,000 items spanning a vast collection of painting, sculpture, goldware, fu ...

Works

An important work of Venegas still remaining in the original location is the altarpiece of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Luz (Church of Our Lady of Light) in Lisbon. The paintings are placed in a large wooden altarpiece in Mannerist style, in the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...

of the church built by Jérôme de Rouen between 1575 and 1590. Of the eight screens of the altarpiece, made around 1590, four are signed by the artist, including the central screen, dedicated to Apparition of Our Lady of Light. The other four paintings are by Diogo Teixeira, the usual partner of Venegas. The fact that he signed his works is a sign of his statement as a solo artist, something typical of Mannerism but relatively uncommon in Portugal at the time. Another important work of Venegas is the illusionist painting the wooden ceiling of the

Igreja de São Roque The Igreja de São Roque (; Church of Saint Roch) is a Roman Catholic church in Lisbon, Portugal. It was the earliest Jesuit church in the Portuguese world, and one of the first Jesuit churches anywhere. The edifice served as the Society's home ch ...

in Lisbon, a large composition that combines classic architecture with many sham medallions with religious images. The work, carried out between 1584 and 1590, was completed by the painter Amaro do Vale, author of medallions. Other works include a work for the St. Mary Magdalene Church of Grace in Lisbon. Venegas died in Lisbon, in 1594, showered with honors.

References

* Vítor Serrão. The Mannerist painting in Portugal. ICALP - Brief Library Collection - Volume 65. 1991 * Vítor Serrão. Francisco Venegas 'painter mad talent', exponent of Mannerism Portuguese (c. 1525-1594). III International Congress of APHA {{DEFAULTSORT:Venegas, Francisco Portuguese painters Portuguese male painters 16th-century Spanish painters Spanish expatriates in Portugal Spanish male painters 1525 births 1594 deaths People from Seville