Cristóbal Vela (c. 1588-1658) was a Spanish

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 ...

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

and gilder. Born in

Jaén, Spain Jaén () is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain and the capital of the Jaén Province, Spain, province of Jaén, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. The city of Jaén is the administrative and industrial centre for the provinc ...

, it is agreed that Vela studied the first principles of painting in Córdoba, Andalusia, under

Pablo de Céspedes Pablo de Céspedes (1538 – July 26, 1608) was a Spanish painter, poet, and architect. Biography His father, Alonso Céspedes, was descended of a noble Castilian family, once settled at Ocaña, Spain, Ocaña, and the name of his mother, wh ...

. He then moved to

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, where he completed his art studies under

Vincenzo Carducci Vincenzio Carduccio (in Spanish, sometimes ''Vicencio'' or Vicente Carducho; 1576 or 1578–1638) was an Italian painter who spent his career in Spain. Education and training He was born in Florence and was trained as a painter by hi ...

. Some sources also claim that Vela studied in

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

beginning in 1610, and that his work is influenced by the Sevilian school. At the end of his education, Vela worked with two art dealers in Seville, Carlos Atabante and Juan de Quintanilla. For Atabante, Vela painted 330 canvases of different themes and sizes, and for de Quintanilla, he painted 300 religious pieces, some of which had profane themes. He followed the

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style, and was influenced by both Naturalism and Spanish architecture. In 1618, Vela took over work on the golden

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter 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 or sculpture, ...

of San Anton in the church of San Juan. In 1619, he was hired to create an altarpiece for a client in Campillo de Arenas. In 1627, Vela was working in Priego. His work on the altarpieces of ''Saint Peter'' and ''Our Lady of the Rosary'' in the parish church are among his oldest surviving works in Córdoba''.'' In Priego, he married Catherine Garrido and had a son, Antonio Vela Cobo (1629-1675), who became a painter, sculptor, and gilder. By 1635, Vela had relocated to Córdoba, where he worked as a painter and gilder of altarpieces and sculptures. In 1645, he was commissioned to complete altarpiece paintings of the

Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba ( ), officially known by its ecclesiastical name of Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (), is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba, Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Ma ...

after winning a competition alongside

Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra (10 July 1616 – 2 February 1668) was a Spanish Baroque painter, sculptor, and poet. Biography Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra was born at Córdoba, Spain. He trained in painting under his father Agustín ...

. Although he was likely selected due to his seniority and status in Córdoba society, this is considered to be one of Vela's achievements. Vela's most acclaimed work was painted at the church of San Agustín de Córdoba, with most of his archangels now located at the

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and the church of Santa Marina. Other famous works of his include the upper choir of San Agustín de Córdoba, which follows the

iconographic Iconology is a method of interpretation in cultural history and the history of the visual arts used by Aby Warburg, Erwin Panofsky and their followers that uncovers the cultural, social, and historical background of themes and subjects in the visu ...

style of

Francisco Pacheco Francisco Pérez del Río (bap. 3 November 1564 – 27 November 1644), known by his pseudonym Francisco Pacheco, was a Spanish painter, best known as the teacher of Alonso Cano and Diego Velázquez, as well as the latter's father-in-law. His ...

and his prophet series for the convent of St. Augustine. Cristóbal Vela died in 1658 when he fell into a well at his house and drowned. After his death, his son Antonio took over his workshop. Many of Vela's works are now considered lost, while several others suffered irreversible damage due to unskilled restoration.

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Further reading