Antonio Palomino facts for kids
Antonio Palomino (born 1655, died 1726) was an important Spanish painter during the Baroque period. He was also a writer who wrote about art. His most famous book, El Museo pictórico y escala óptica, shares many interesting facts about the lives of Spanish artists.
Life of Antonio Palomino
Antonio Palomino was born in 1655 in a town called Bujalance, near Córdoba. His family was well-respected. He studied subjects like philosophy, theology, and law in Córdoba.
He also learned to paint from famous artists. One of his teachers was Juan de Valdés Leal, who visited Córdoba in 1672. Later, he learned from Juan de Alfaro y Gamez in 1675.
In 1678, Palomino moved to Madrid. There, he worked with other well-known painters like Alfaro, Claudio Coello, and Juan Carreño de Miranda. He painted some frescoes, which are paintings done on wet plaster walls or ceilings.
Palomino married an important lady. He also became an official called an alcalde and was given a special noble title. In 1688, he became the official painter for King Charles II.
He traveled to Valencia in 1697 and stayed for about three or four years. While there, he painted more frescoes, including the ceilings of the Santos Juanes church.
Between 1705 and 1715, Palomino spent a lot of time in other Spanish cities. These included Salamanca, Granada, and Córdoba. In 1715, the first part of his important book about art was published in Madrid. He also painted a large fresco in the dome of the sacristy at the Cartuja de Granada.
After his wife passed away in 1725, Palomino became a priest. He died on August 13, 1726.
El Museo pictórico y escala óptica
Antonio Palomino's famous book, El Museo pictórico y escala óptica, was first published in three large volumes between 1715 and 1724.
The first two parts of the book talked about how painting works and how artists create their art. These parts were not as widely known.
However, the third part was very important. It was called El Parnaso español pintoresco laureado. This section contained many valuable stories and facts about the lives of Spanish artists. Because of this, Palomino is sometimes called "the Spanish Vasari". Giorgio Vasari was a famous Italian writer who also wrote about artists' lives.
Parts of Palomino's book were later translated into other languages. An English version came out in 1739. A shorter version was published in London in 1742 and then translated into French in 1749. A German version was printed in 1781. The whole book was reprinted in Madrid in 1797. A modern English translation of the shorter version was published in 1987.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Palomino para niños
