Choose a mood and the room itself answers — the light cools or warms, the air changes pace, and only the works that carry that feeling step forward from the dark. Everything else recedes into shadow.
Early Life, Family and Training The story of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo begins in the heart of Seville, where he was born in late December 1617. He was baptized on 1 January 1618, entering a world that would soon demand much of him. His father, Gaspar Esteban, worked as a barber surgeon, and his mother was María Pérez Murillo. Life for the young boy was marked by early loss, as he was orphaned during his childhood. Following the deaths
of his parents, he was taken in by his sister, Ana, and her husband, Juan Agustín Lagares. His stepfather was also a barber, and it was within this family circle that the boy found stability and a sense of belonging. Artistic training for Bartolomé Esteban Murillo likely began when he was between twelve and fifteen years old. He entered the workshop of Juan del Castillo, a painter who was both his uncle and his godfather. Under Castil…