Francisco de Solís facts for kids
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Francisco de Solís (born around 1620-1625 in Madrid, died September 25, 1684, in Madrid) was a Spanish artist. He painted in the Baroque style, which was popular during his time. Besides painting, he also collected many drawings. He even wrote down the life stories of other Spanish painters.
Early Life and Art
Francisco de Solís was the son of a famous painter and scenographer named Juan de Solís. A scenographer designs and creates scenery for plays. Francisco's father wanted him to become a priest. However, Francisco loved art and kept painting in his father's studio whenever he had free time.
When he was about eighteen, Francisco painted a picture of the Capuchin monks from a town called Villarrubia de los Ojos. This painting was shown to the public. It then went to the monks themselves. King Philip IV saw the painting and was very impressed. He wanted to know more about this young artist. This made Francisco decide to make painting his main job.
Life as an Artist
Francisco de Solís married Lucía Barragán. Her family was also part of the minor nobility, which meant they had a good social standing. Francisco was friends with important thinkers, like the famous writer Pedro Calderón de la Barca. He did not have to worry about money. This meant he could focus on his art and other interests.
Francisco built a large library filled with books. He also collected many valuable prints and drawings. Some of these drawings were given to him as gifts. His collection included a special book of drawings by Diego de Obregón. For many years, Francisco ran a drawing school. His only student who became well-known was the painter José Moreno.
Famous Paintings
Francisco de Solís painted for many convents in Madrid. Convents are buildings where religious people live. These connections helped him get painting jobs from other areas too. He painted for the Franciscans in Viana. He also painted for the Dominicans in Villanueva de los Infantes.
In 1675, he painted a picture of the Annunciation. This painting was for the convent of the Discalced Carmelites in Boadilla del Monte. His daughter, Petronila, became a nun there. He also created paintings for the chapel of the Convento de Copacabana.
Most of Francisco's paintings that we still have today are religious. But he also painted scenes from old stories about gods and heroes. For example, he created a series of paintings about the Labors of Hercules. These were for the Plaza de San Salvador in Madrid. They were made to celebrate the arrival of Queen Marie Louise d’Orléans and her court in 1679.
Francisco de Solís died in Madrid in 1684. He was buried at the Convento de la Victoria.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco de Solís (pintor) para niños
