Felipe de Guevara facts for kids
Felipe de Guevara (died 1563) was a Spanish writer and art lover from the Renaissance period. He was known for his writings about art and for supporting artists.
Felipe was the son of Diego de Guevara, who was an ambassador and also collected art. Felipe had many friends who were important cultural figures of his time. He was interested in many different subjects, like numismatics (the study of coins), geography, and history. Just like his father, he loved art very much. He especially admired the work of the artist Hieronymus Bosch, who he wrote about in his most famous book, Comentarios de la pintura (Comments on Painting). Felipe de Guevara passed away in Madrid.
Contents
About His Famous Book
Felipe de Guevara's important book, Comentarios de la pintura, was kept as a handwritten manuscript for a long time. It was finally published in 1788 by Antonio Ponz. Experts believe Felipe probably wrote it around 1560, not long before he died.
What the Book Covers
In his "Commentaries," Felipe wrote about many different painting techniques. He discussed fresco painting, which is painting on wet plaster, and grotesques, which are decorative designs. He also wrote about painting on canvas, encaustic (a method using heated wax), and how artists used light in their work. He even covered mosaics and oil painting.
Ancient Art Techniques
Felipe de Guevara often referred to the writings of Pliny the Elder, an ancient Roman writer. He mentioned Pliny's ideas about how encaustic painting was invented by Aristides and made even better by Praxiteles. Felipe also believed that ancient artists had invented oil painting. This was interesting because, in the 1500s, many people thought oil painting was a new invention.
Fresco and Stucco Secrets
One of the most interesting parts of Guevara's book is about fresco and stucco decoration. He explained the steps artists took and the materials they used back then. While he mentioned the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, Felipe also compared these old ideas with how things were done in Spain. This makes his book a very important record of 16th-century painting techniques.
See also
In Spanish: Felipe de Guevara para niños
