HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Cristóbal de Villalpando (ca. 1649 – 20 August 1714) was a
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
Criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system. Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America. * Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...
artist from
New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...
, arts administrator and captain of the guard. He painted prolifically and produced many Baroque works now displayed in several Mexican cathedrals, including the cathedrals in
Querétaro Querétaro, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Querétaro, 18 municipalities. Its capital city is Querétaro Cit ...
,
Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...
and
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, as well as a depiction of the
Zócalo Zócalo () is the common name of the town square, main square in central Mexico City. Prior to the European colonization of the Americas, colonial period, it was the main ceremonial center in the Aztecs, Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The plaza us ...
(main square) in Mexico City, showing the damage of the 1692 riot to the viceregal palace three years earlier.Richard L. Kagan, ''Urban Images of the Hispanic World, 1493-1793,'' with the collaboration of Fernando Marías. New Haven: Yale University Press 2000.


Life

Born in Mexico City to the influential Villalpando family, Cristóbal 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.Haces, Juana Gutierrez (2006) "Cristóbal de Villalpando" 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, In 1669, he married María de Mendoza and they had four children. He received several religious art commissions, both in Mexico City and in
Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...
. Other paintings by his hand are found in the sacristy of the Mexico City Cathedral. Villalpando rose to the rank of captain and in 1686 was named one of three directors of the painters' guild in Mexico, the position he served several times as director (''veedor'') . Villalpando included a self-portrait 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.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, Villapando died in Mexico City in 1714 and was buried there.


Style

Villalpando's early works attest to the influence of
Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish painting, Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged comp ...
; however, as his style continued to develop, he moved away from the extremes of vivid coloring and excessive robustness to a more measured style, using a broad palette and incorporating more of the New World painting traditions. 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. His work was much emulated. 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. These cathedral works include a large painting of '' The Transfiguration,'' climaxing with the ''
Assumption of the Virgin The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of w ...
'' on the inside of the dome of the apse chapel, and incorporate themes from the
eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...
. His large altar piece from the Puebla cathedral, ''Moses and the Brazen Serpent and the Transfiguration of Jesus'' (1683) was featured in a recent major exhibit in Mexico City and at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
in New York. For the
sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...
of the Mexico City cathedral he painted *''The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant'', *''The Triumph of Religion'', *''The Virgin of the Apocalypse'', * ''Our Lady of Sorrows'', *''The Apparition of Saint Michael Archangel'', and others. Most of Villalpando's portraits have been lost, as well as a number of his religious works. However, one of his religious masterpieces, ''The Adoration of the Magi'' (1683), was recently discovered by an art history professor to have been hanging in the president's office at
Fordham University Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...
. It was subsequently featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Villalpando exhibition in 2017.


''View of the Zócalo of Mexico City'' (1695)

Villalpando's painting of the main square of Mexico City is an important work not only for showing the major buildings and architectural features surrounding the capital's main square (Metropolitan Cathedral, palace of the viceroy, the palace of the archbishop, the town council or ''ayuntamiento'' building, and the enclosed commercial area, the Parían Market, and the canal alongside the Portal de las Flores), but also the activities of Mexico City residents of all races and classes. An important historical feature of the painting is the depiction of the fire damage to the viceroy's palace by mob in 1692. The viceroy of Mexico, Don Gaspar de Sandoval Silva y Mendoza, Count of Gelve, commissioned the painting by Mexico City's foremost artist of the late seventeenth century. Gelves was returning to Spain after a decidedly mixed record as viceroy, which saw disorder culminating in the June 1692 riot and perhaps wanted the painting as a souvenir of his period as viceroy. It is notable that Villalpando paints the ruined façade of the viceroy's palace and does not take artist's license to paint out this major historical event in Mexico City's history. Obviously, from the commercial and social activity in the Zócalo that Villalpando paints in exceptional detail, the main appears to have gone back to its normal importance. Elites in their finery brought by carriage to the square, richly stocked shops, and a plethora of Indian and casta market sellers are depicted. The view has been considered metonymic, where "Villalpando equates the ''zócalo'' with Mexico City. The harmony and prosperity the scene evokes makes it almost possible to ignore the damaged façade of the viceregal palace.... The painting, now in the private collection of Lord Methuen at Corsham Court, UK, has been used as the cover illustration for two important books on colonial Spanish America.D.A. Brading, ''The First America: The Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriots, and the Liberal State, 1492-1867.'' New York: Cambridge University Press 1991.


Gallery

La Anunciación - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''The Annunciation (1706)'' La Virgen de la escalera - Cristóbal de Villalpando, (Templo de San Felipe Neri).jpg, ''Madonna of the Stairs'' La Virgen del Apocalipsis - Cristóbal de Villalpando (Museo Bello y González, Ciudad de Puebla).png, ''The Virgin of the Apocalypse'' Santa rosa tentada por el demonio - Cristobal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Saint Rose tempted by the devil'' Lactación de Santo Domingo.JPG, Lactation of Saint Dominic'' El Diluvio - Cristóbal de Villalpando - (Capilla del Espíritu Santo de Ochavo Catedral de Puebla, Puebla, México).jpg, ''The Deluge'' Adán y Eva en el Paraíso - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Adam and Eve in Paradise'' San Miguel Arcángel - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Saint Michael the Archangel'' Arcángel Baraquiel - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Archangel Barachiel'' La aparición de San Miguel - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Apparition of Saint Michael'' Mujer del Apocalipsis - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Woman of the Apocalypse'' El Dulce nombre de María - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''The sweet name of Mary'' La Virgen de Aranzazú - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Our Lady of Aranzazú'' La Purísima Concepción - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Immaculate Conception'' Huida a Egipto - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Flight into Egypt'' San Pablo - Cristóbal de Villalpando.jpg, ''Saint Paul''


See also

*
Mexican art Various types of visual arts developed in the geographical area now known as Mexico. The development of these arts roughly follows the history of Mexico, divided into the prehispanic Mesoamerican era, the New Spain, colonial period, with the per ...
*
Miguel Cabrera (painter) Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera ( Oaxaca de Juárez 1695 – Mexico City 1768) was a Mexican painter of the late Baroque in New Spain. During his lifetime, he was recognized as the greatest painter in the viceroyalty. He created religious and s ...
* Juan Correa * Churrigueresque * Juan Rodríguez Juárez


References


Further reading

*Brown, Jonathan, tonda Kasl, Juana Gutiérrez Haces, Clara Bargalini, Pedro Ángeles, and Rogelio Ruiz Gomar. ''Cristóbal de Villalpando: Mexican Painter of the Baroque''. Exhibition catalogue. Mexico City: Fomento Cultural Banamex 2017. *Fenton, James. "Moses in Mexico" in ''
New York Review of Books New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
'', October 12, 2017, pp. 12,14. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/10/12/villalpando-moses-in-mexico/ (accessed 2 October 2017) *Katzew, Ilona. ''Casta Painting''. New Haven: Yale University Press 2004. * Maza, Francisco de la (1964) ''El Pintor Cristóbal de Villalpando'' Instituto Nacional de Antoropologia e Historia, Mexico City, , in Spanish * Soberón, Arturo (1997) ''Cristóbal de Villalpando: El pincel bien temperado'' Consejo Nacional Para la Cultura, Mexico City, , in Spanish * Toussaint, Manuel. ''Colonial Art in Mexico''. Translated and edited by Elizabth Wilder Weisman. Austin: University of Texas Press 1967. {{DEFAULTSORT:Villalpando, Cristobal De Mexican painters Spanish Baroque painters 1649 births 1714 deaths Painters from Mexico City 17th-century Mexican painters Mexican male painters 18th-century Mexican painters 18th-century male artists Religious painters