Museum of Fine Arts of Seville
The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville was inaugurated in 1841. It is one of the most important Fine Arts Museums in Spain. It stands out for its collection of Sevillian Baroque painting.
The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville occupies the building of the former Convent of La Merced Calzada.
This current building is the result of the transformations of the beginning of the 17th century. The old building was demolished and a new construction was carried out. The architect in charge of the project was Juan de Oviedo y Montera.
Work on the church began in 1603 and was completed in 1612. However, the rest of the complex would take about fifty years more.
This new building has undergone three interventions until today. The first was carried out in the 19th century. The arches, walls and the cloister were restored.
Then, the second was carried out in the first half of the 20th century. The courtyard of Las Conchas was opened, and the main Baroque façade was moved to Calle Bailén.
The third one, around the 90’s, was destined to the general remodelling of the building. This reform also had a museographic focus.
The collections of the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville, like those of other provincial museums, have their origins in the disentailments of the 19th century. Works were gathered from the convents and other ecclesiastical properties of Seville.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the museum’s collections were extended. Numerous collections of illustrious local figures were donated to the museum. Some of them were Rafael Gonález Abreu’s or Andrés Parladé’s.
Since the museum passed into the hands of the Junta de Andalucía, the museum has acquired new collections. A total of fifty-seven works have been deposited. Among the new works, those by artists from the Seville school and their descendants stand out.
We cannot speak of the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville without mentioning Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. The museum has several works by the Sevillian painter.
Among the most outstanding is the Inmaculada Concepción (1650), known as La Colosal, and one of his most prodigious works.
The Virgen de la servilleta (1666), created for the Church of Los Capuchinos in Seville, is also noteworthy. According to tradition, Murillo would have painted a sketch of this work on a napkin.
He also painted Saints Justa y Rufina (1666) for the Capuchinos. Murillo’s artistic maturity can be seen in his use of light and shadow.
In the context of the Seville school, several works by Zurbarán also stand out. Among the museum’s collection is the Virgen de las Cuevas (1655). You can also enjoy his illustrious work San Hugo en el Refectorio (1655).
In addition, we can find other magnificent examples of Sevillian Baroque painting.
Artists such as Juan de Valdés Leal and his Flagelación de San Jerónimo (1657) and José de Ribera cover the walls of the museum. Of the latter, works such as Santiago el Mayor (1634) stand out.
The work of El Greco is also present in the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville. Especially relevant is the Portrait of Jorge Manuel (ca. 1600), the painter’s son.
The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville also has important works by artists from the 19th century and the end of the century. Sevillian painters such as Bilbao Martínez are worthy of note.
In Las Cigarreras (1915) he recreates a sweet maternal scene, at the same time as the working atmosphere in a tobacco factory.
In our tour of the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville we cannot forget the work of Ignacio Zuloaga. The Basque artist was closely linked to Andalusia, as can be seen in Bailaora, Antonia La Gallega (1912).
In the field of sculpture, the museum preserves beautiful polychrome carvings. La Prudencia (1618) by Juan de Solís belongs to a series of four fascinating allegories.
Location: Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla. Plaza del Museo, 9. 41001 Seville.
Phone: 955 54 29 42
Web: website of the Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla.
The opening hours, and also the prices can be consulted updated here.
