Esteban Munras
Encyclopedia
Esteban Carlos Munras was a 19th century artist, probably best known for the vibrantly-colored fresco
es that adorn the chapel interior at Mission San Miguel Arcángel
in California
.
as a young man, ultimately making his home in Monterey
.
Munras was a dealer in cattle hides and tallow
, the products of his Rancho San Vicente
. He built Casa Munras, the first home to be constructed outside the walls of the El Presidio Reál de San Carlos de Monterey
, where he established a thriving trading house attached to the family home. Munras imported fine household furnishings and necessities to the earliest settlers in Monterey, California's first capital. His wife, Catalina Manzanelli de Munras, was grantee of Rancho Laguna Seca
and Rancho San Francisquito
.
At the request of mission priest Father Juan Cabot, also a native of Barcelona, Munras traveled to Mission San Miguel Arcángel
, north of Paso Robles
, in the early 1820s. Various religious-themed scenes (known as the "Munras murals") were painted by the local Salinan
Indians under Munras' direction. His designs reflected the Neo-Classical
tastes of the period, and the reredos (main altarpiece) reflects knowledge of an artist who had seen the fashionably decorated churches in Mexico
of that era. The interior has remained untouched and has been preserved in its original state.
Munras died in 1850 in Monterey.
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es that adorn the chapel interior at Mission San Miguel Arcángel
Mission San Miguel Arcángel
Mission San Miguel Arcángel was founded on July 25, 1797 by the Franciscan order, on a site chosen specifically due to the large number of Salinan Indians that inhabited the area, whom the Spanish priests wanted to evangelize. It is located at 775 Mission Street, San Miguel, in San Luis Obispo...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Life
Having studied art in his native city of Barcelona, Spain, Munras immigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a young man, ultimately making his home in Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
.
Munras was a dealer in cattle hides and tallow
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
, the products of his Rancho San Vicente
Rancho San Vicente (Munras)
Rancho San Vicente was a Mexican land grant in the Salinas Valley, in present day Monterey County, California. The four square league grant consisted of two square leagues in 1835 by Governor José Castro to Esteban Munras, and two square leagues granted in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado...
. He built Casa Munras, the first home to be constructed outside the walls of the El Presidio Reál de San Carlos de Monterey
Presidio of Monterey, California
The Presidio of Monterey, located in Monterey, California, is an active US Army installation with historic ties to the Spanish colonial era. Currently it is the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center .-Spanish fort:...
, where he established a thriving trading house attached to the family home. Munras imported fine household furnishings and necessities to the earliest settlers in Monterey, California's first capital. His wife, Catalina Manzanelli de Munras, was grantee of Rancho Laguna Seca
Rancho Laguna Seca
Rancho Laguna Seca was a Mexican land grant in present day Monterey County, California given in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa to Catalina M. Munras. "Laguna Seca" means "Dry Lake" in Spanish...
and Rancho San Francisquito
Rancho San Francisquito (Munras)
Rancho San Francisquito was a Mexican land grant in present day Monterey County, California given in 1835 by Governor José Castro to Catalina Manzaneli de Munras...
.
At the request of mission priest Father Juan Cabot, also a native of Barcelona, Munras traveled to Mission San Miguel Arcángel
Mission San Miguel Arcángel
Mission San Miguel Arcángel was founded on July 25, 1797 by the Franciscan order, on a site chosen specifically due to the large number of Salinan Indians that inhabited the area, whom the Spanish priests wanted to evangelize. It is located at 775 Mission Street, San Miguel, in San Luis Obispo...
, north of Paso Robles
Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Paso Robles is the fastest growing city in San Luis Obispo County: Its population at the 2000 census was 24,297; in 2010 it recorded some 29,793 residentsLocated on the Salinas River north of San Luis Obispo, California,...
, in the early 1820s. Various religious-themed scenes (known as the "Munras murals") were painted by the local Salinan
Salinan
The Salinan Native Americans lived in what is now the Central Coast of California, in the Salinas Valley. Said to have gone extinct by the Census of 1930, the Salinan Native Americans survived and are now in the process of applying for tribal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.There...
Indians under Munras' direction. His designs reflected the Neo-Classical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
tastes of the period, and the reredos (main altarpiece) reflects knowledge of an artist who had seen the fashionably decorated churches in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
of that era. The interior has remained untouched and has been preserved in its original state.
Munras died in 1850 in Monterey.