Juan Carreño de Miranda
Encyclopedia
Juan Carreño de Miranda (25 March 1614 — 3 October 1685) was a Spanish
painter of the Baroque
period.
Born in Avilés
in Asturias
, son of a painter with the same name, Juan Carreño de Miranda. His family moved to Madrid
in 1623, and he trained in Madrid
during the late 1620s as an apprentice to Pedro de Las Cuevas
and Bartolomé Roman. He came to the notice of Velázquez
for his work in the cloister of Doña María de Aragón and in the church of El Rosario
. In 1658 Carreño was hired as an assistant on a royal commission to paint fresco
es in the Alcázar
of Madrid, which was destroyed in a fire in 1734. In 1671, upon the death of Sebastian de Herrera, he was appointed court painter
to the queen (pintor de cámara) and began to paint primarily portraits. He refused to be knighted in the order of Santiago
, saying Painting needs no honors, it can give them to the whole world. He is mainly recalled as a painter of portraits. His main pupils were Mateo Cerezo
, Cabezalero, Donoso, Ledesma y Sotomayor. He died in Madrid.
Noble
by descent, he had an understanding of the workings and psychology of the royal court as no painter before him, making his portraits of the Spanish royal family in an unprecedented documentary fashion. Most of his work are portraits of the royal family and court, though there are some altarpieces, early works commissioned mainly by the church.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
painter of the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
period.
Born in Avilés
Avilés
Avilés is a city in Asturias, Spain. Avilés is with Oviedo and Gijón, one of the main towns in the Principality of Asturias.The town occupies the flattest land in the municipality, in a land that belonged to the sea, surrounded by small promontories, all of them having an altitude of less than...
in Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, son of a painter with the same name, Juan Carreño de Miranda. His family moved to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in 1623, and he trained in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
during the late 1620s as an apprentice to Pedro de Las Cuevas
Pedro de las Cuevas
Pedro de las Cuevas, a Spanish painter, was born at Madrid in 1568. According to Palomino, he painted several pictures for private collections,for which he was more employed than for public edifices. He gained, however, more celebrity by his academy than by his own works...
and Bartolomé Roman. He came to the notice of Velázquez
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
for his work in the cloister of Doña María de Aragón and in the church of El Rosario
El Rosario
El Rosario may refer to:*El Rosario, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands*El Rosario, Morazán, El Salvador*El Rosario, a lake located in El Rosario National Park in Guatemala*El Rosario, Baja California, Mexico*El Rosario, Michoacán, Mexico...
. In 1658 Carreño was hired as an assistant on a royal commission to paint fresco
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 in the Alcázar
Alcázar
An alcázar , alcácer or alcàsser is a type of castle in Spain and Portugal. The term derives from the Arabic word القصر meaning "fort, castle or palace"; and the Arabic word is derived from the Latin word, 'castrum', meaning an army camp or fort...
of Madrid, which was destroyed in a fire in 1734. In 1671, upon the death of Sebastian de Herrera, he was appointed court painter
Court painter
A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
to the queen (pintor de cámara) and began to paint primarily portraits. He refused to be knighted in the order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
, saying Painting needs no honors, it can give them to the whole world. He is mainly recalled as a painter of portraits. His main pupils were Mateo Cerezo
Mateo Cerezo
Mateo Cerezo was a Baroque Spanish painter.In 1654 he moved to Madrid and studied with Juan Carreno de Miranda and possibly with Antonio de Pereda....
, Cabezalero, Donoso, Ledesma y Sotomayor. He died in Madrid.
Noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
by descent, he had an understanding of the workings and psychology of the royal court as no painter before him, making his portraits of the Spanish royal family in an unprecedented documentary fashion. Most of his work are portraits of the royal family and court, though there are some altarpieces, early works commissioned mainly by the church.