Alonzo Cano

Key facts

Lived

1601–1667, Spanish^[1]

Movement

• Baroque

^[1]

Works held in

26 museums

Wikipedia

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• What is Alonzo Cano known for?+

  Alonzo Cano is known for being a painter, sculptor, and architect. One of his most notable paintings from his period is St. John the Evangelist.
• What is Alonzo Cano's most famous work?+

  Alonzo Cano (1601^[1]-1667^[1]) was active as a painter, sculptor, and architect. He received his artistic education in Seville, where his family relocated in 1614^[1]. Cano entered Francisco Pacheco's workshop in 1616, where he met Velázquez. Cano's first known work, the full-length *Saint Francis Borgia* (1624, Seville, Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes), shares traits with Velázquez's Sevillian paintings. During the early 1620s, Cano likely joined the workshop of Juan Martinez Montañés (1568-1649^[1]), a sculptor whose refined style influenced Cano's sculpture. Cano passed the painters' guild examinations in 1626, but he gained his early reputation primarily through sculpture. His most significant commission from his time in Seville was the design and execution of polychromed figures for the great retable of the church of Santa Maria de la Oliva, in Lebrija (1629-31). Later in his career, from 1645 to 1652, Cano focused on painting. Contemporary accounts suggest that his painting *Miracle of the Well* (c. 1646-48, Madrid, Museo del Prado) was the most admired of his paintings in the city. It was part of the high altar retable of the church of Santa Maria de la Almudena. The painting depicts Saint Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of Madrid, performing a miracle.
• What should I know about Alonzo Cano's prints?+

  Alonzo Cano (1601^[1]-1667^[1]) was a Spanish^[1] artist from Granada, active as a painter, sculptor, and architect. He received his artistic education in Seville in the workshop of Francisco Pacheco, where he overlapped with Velázquez. Cano's paintings often show an awareness of printmaking. Literary sources suggest he frequently used prints in his work. His painting, *Virgin and Child in a Landscape*, dating from about 1646^[1]-48, borrows directly from an engraving by Dürer from 1520. While Cano retained the general scheme of Dürer's print, he transformed the model into his own style. He translated the severe, linear language of the German print into a more tender and painterly manner. Cano's early works, which established his reputation, were primarily sculptural. His paintings include *Miracle of the Well* (Museo del Prado, Madrid), and *Saint Bernard and Saint John Capistrano* (Museo de Carlos V, Granada).
• What style or movement did Alonzo Cano belong to?+

  Alonso Cano (1601^[1]-1667^[1]) was active during the Baroque^[1] period. He was a multifaceted artist, working as a painter, sculptor, and architect in Spain. Cano's early painting style, exemplified by his 1624^[1] work *Saint Francis Borgia*, displays tenebrism and naturalism. These traits are shared with the Sevillian paintings of Velázquez, with whom Cano apprenticed briefly. Cano's time in Madrid allowed him to study the royal art collection; this exposure led him to adopt a softer style, reminiscent of Venetian art. *Christ and the Samaritan Woman* (1640) demonstrates this shift, with its more subdued colours and gentler application of paint compared to his earlier works, which featured large blocks of colour and clear outlines. His paintings of the crucified Christ show an idealised figure with aristocratic elegance. The light brushwork and soft contours in works such as *Christ Supported by an Angel* are similar to those of Van Dyck, whose work Cano knew and admired. The sculpturesque modelling in these paintings may reflect the influence of Juan Martinez Montañés, a sculptor with whom Cano studied.
• What techniques or materials did Alonzo Cano use?+

  Alonso Cano was a versatile artist, working as a painter, sculptor, and architect. Born in Granada in 1601^[1], he received architectural training from his father, Miguel Cano Pacheco. In 1614^[1], he moved to Seville, where he studied sculpture with Juan Martinez Montañés and painting with Francisco Pacheco (also Diego Velázquez’s teacher). Cano's early paintings, such as the 1624 *Saint Francis Borgia*, display a tenebrist and naturalistic style, with strongly modelled forms and concealed brushwork, similar to Velázquez's Sevillian works. His time in Madrid, starting in 1638, allowed him to study the royal art collection, leading to a softening of his brushwork, influenced by Venetian art. *Christ and the Samaritan Woman* (1640) shows this change, with a softer application of paint and more subdued colours, compared to his earlier works, which featured large blocks of colour and clearly delineated contours. Cano designed the retable for the church of Santa Maria de la Oliva, in Lebrija, and executed its polychromed figures (1629-31). His paintings of the crucified Christ often feature an elegance and smoothness reminiscent of Van Dyck.
• What was Alonzo Cano known for?+

  Alonzo Cano (1601^[1]-1667^[1]) was a Spanish^[1] artist from Granada, active as a painter, sculptor, and architect. His father, Miguel Cano Pacheco, was an architect and retable maker. Cano received his artistic training in Seville. Around 1614^[1], he studied painting in the workshop of Francisco Pacheco, where he encountered Diego Velázquez. Cano also studied sculpture with Juan Martinez Montañés. His early paintings, such as *Saint Francis Borgia* (1624), display a tenebrist and naturalistic style. Cano's early reputation rested primarily on his sculptural work; he designed the retable for the church of Santa Maria de la Oliva in Lebrija (1629-31), and executed its polychromed figures. In 1638, Cano fled to Madrid, after wounding the painter Sebastian de Llanos Valdes in a duel. He became a royal architect and painter under Philip IV. Exposure to the royal art collection led him to adopt a softer style, as seen in *Christ and the Samaritan Woman* (1640). Later, accused of murdering his wife in 1644, he escaped to Valencia. In 1652, he became a canon of Granada Cathedral. He was later expelled for misconduct, and returned to Madrid to take holy orders. He then received the post of chief architect of Granada Cathedral. The west facade of the cathedral was built after his death, based on his designs.
• When did Alonzo Cano live and work?+

  Alonzo Cano was born in Granada in 1601^[1] and died there in 1667^[1]. He was active as a painter, sculptor, and architect. In 1614^[1], his family relocated to Seville, where he received his artistic training as a painter. Around 1616, Cano entered Francisco Pacheco's workshop, where he worked for four or five years. Velázquez, who was two years older, was also apprenticed to Pacheco. Cano's first known work, the full-length Saint Francis Borgia (1624), shares traits with Velázquez's Sevillian paintings. In the early 1620s, Cano likely moved to the workshop of Juan Martinez Montañés (1568-1649^[1]), a sculptor whose refined style influenced Cano's sculpture. Although Cano joined the painters' guild in 1626, he gained recognition primarily for his sculptural work. A significant commission during his time in Seville was the design and execution of polychromed figures for the retable of the church of Santa Maria de la Oliva, in Lebrija (1629-31). In 1638, Cano fled to Madrid after wounding a painter in a duel. There, he gained favour with Philip IV, who appointed him royal architect and painter. Cano was able to study the royal art collection, which led him to adopt a softer style. In 1651, Cano requested a prebend in Granada Cathedral, which was granted. He left Madrid in 1652. After a period of strained relations with the cathedral canons, he returned to Granada permanently in 1660.
• Where can I see Alonzo Cano's work?+

  Alonso Cano's paintings and sculptures can be found in several locations. In London, the Wallace Collection holds his painting *Vision of Saint John the Evangelist*. Other European museums with works by Cano include the Alte Pinakothek in Munich (Vision of Saint Anthony of Padua) and the Staatliche Gemäldegalerie in Kassel (Portrait of a Dominican Friar). In Spain, several works are located in Madrid, including at the Museo del Prado (*Miracle of the Well*, *Virgin and Child in a Landscape*), the Academia de San Fernando (*Crucified Christ*), and the Church of San Gines (*Christ in Calvary*). Granada also has a number of Cano's pieces, such as the *Presentation of the Virgin and Annunciation* in the Cathedral, *Holy Family* in the Convent of the Angel Custodio, and *Saint Bernard and Saint John Capistrano* in the Museo de Carlos V. The Immaculate Conception can be found in the Cathedral, Oratory of the Sacristy, also in Granada. Beyond Europe, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has Cano's *Christ in Limbo*, and the Hispanic Society of America in New York City has his *Portrait of an Ecclesiastic*.
• Where was Alonzo Cano from?+

  Alonso Cano was born in Granada, Spain, in 1601^[1]. His father, Miguel Cano Pacheco, was an architect and retable maker. In 1614^[1], the family relocated to Seville, where Alonso received his training as a painter. In 1616, Cano joined the workshop of Francisco Pacheco; Diego Velázquez was also apprenticed there. Cano's early work, such as the 1624 painting *Saint Francis Borgia*, displays a tenebrist style with strongly modelled forms, similar to Velázquez's Sevillian paintings. During the early 1620s, Cano likely moved to the workshop of Juan Martinez Montañés, a sculptor. Montañés's refined style significantly shaped Cano's sculpture. Although Cano passed the painters' guild examinations in 1626, he initially gained recognition primarily for his sculptural work. A notable commission from his time in Seville was the design and execution of polychromed figures for the retable of the church of Santa Maria de la Oliva, in Lebrija, between 1629 and 1631. Cano later fled to Madrid in 1638 after wounding a painter in a duel.
• Who did Alonzo Cano influence?+

  Alonzo Cano (1601^[1]-1667^[1]) was a painter, sculptor, and architect. He was born in Granada, but his family relocated to Seville in 1614^[1]. There, Cano received his artistic training as a painter. Around 1616, Cano entered the workshop of Francisco Pacheco, where he encountered Velázquez. Although their close contact lasted only a few months, it proved significant for Cano's art. His earliest known work, the 1624 Saint Francis Borgia, shares traits with Velázquez's Sevillian paintings, such as strongly modelled forms and self-concealing brushwork. In the early 1620s, Cano also worked in the workshop of Juan Martinez Montañés, a Sevillian sculptor. Montañés' refined style influenced Cano's sculpture, especially his early pieces. Although Cano joined the painters' guild in 1626, his early reputation rested primarily on his sculptures. His design for the retable of the church of Santa Maria de la Oliva, in Lebrija (1629-31), was his most conspicuous early commission. Cano's paintings, such as Christ Supported by an Angel (c. 1645-1652^[1]), show the influence of Anthony van Dyck. Cano's paintings of the crucified Christ also show the influence of Montañés' sculptures, particularly Christ of Clemency in Seville Cathedral. Cano was a forerunner of later painters of the Madrid school.
• Who influenced Alonzo Cano?+

  Alonso Cano's artistic development was shaped by several figures. He received architectural training from his father, Miguel Cano Pacheco. In Seville, from 1614^[1], he studied sculpture with Juan Martinez Montañés and painting with Francisco Pacheco; Diego Velázquez was also a student of Pacheco. Cano's early work, such as the Saint Francis Borgia (1624), shares tenebrist and naturalistic qualities with Velázquez's paintings from Seville. This resulted from a brief, but significant, period of close contact. Montañés' refined style had a decisive impact on Cano's sculpture, particularly his early pieces. Cano's paintings of the crucified Christ resemble Montañés' polychromed sculptures of Christ, including the Christ of Clemency in Seville cathedral. After moving to Madrid in 1638, Cano gained favour with Philip IV, becoming a royal architect and painter. Studying the royal art collection led him to adopt softer brushwork, influenced by Venetian artists. His Christ and the Samaritan Woman (1640) shows this change. Cano also admired the work of Van Dyck, whose sensibility he shared, as seen in Christ Supported by an Angel (1645-1652^[1]).
• Who was Alonzo Cano?+

  Alonzo Cano (1601^[1]-1667^[1]) was a Spanish^[1] painter, sculptor, and architect. Born in Granada, he moved to Seville in 1614^[1] where he trained as a painter in the workshop of Francisco Pacheco. Diego Velázquez was also training there. Cano may have also studied sculpture with Juan Martinez Montañés. Cano passed examinations to join the painters' guild in 1626. His early reputation rested primarily on his sculptural work. A major commission from this period was the retable for the church of Santa Maria de la Oliva, in Lebrija (1629-31), which included polychromed figures. His earliest known painting is a full-length *Saint Francis Borgia* (1624). In 1638, Cano fled to Madrid after wounding the painter Sebastian de Llanos Valdes in a duel. In Madrid, he became a royal architect and painter to Philip IV. The appointment allowed him to study the royal art collection. His painting style changed, adopting softer brushwork. *Christ and the Samaritan Woman* (1640) shows this shift. A painting of *St Isidore's Miracle* was part of the main altar of the church of Santa Maria in Madrid. Despite his artistic success, Cano died in poverty.