Ignacio de Iriarte facts for kids

Ignacio de Iriarte (1620–1685) was a Spanish painter. He became famous for his beautiful landscape paintings. He was one of the few Spanish artists of his time who focused only on landscapes.

Early Life and Artistic Journey

Ignacio de Iriarte was born in Azcoitia, Spain. He learned at home when he was young. In 1642, he moved to Seville. There, he joined the art studio of Francisco Herrera the Elder. Iriarte became very good at using colors. However, he found it hard to draw people well. So, he decided to focus only on painting landscapes. This was unusual for Spanish artists at the time. He became very famous for his landscape art.

Life in Seville and the Academy

In 1646, Iriarte lived in Aracena, near the mountains. He married Doña Francisca de Chaves there. Sadly, his first wife passed away soon after. In 1649, he returned to Seville. He then married his second wife, Doña Maria Escobar.

Iriarte was an important member of the Academy of Seville. This was a special group for artists. He was the first secretary of the Academy in 1660. He served as secretary again from 1667 to 1669.

Friendship with Murillo

For many years, Iriarte was a close friend of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Murillo was another famous Spanish painter. Murillo greatly admired Iriarte's landscapes. The two artists often worked together. Murillo would paint the people in a picture. Iriarte would then paint the landscape around them.

They stopped working together after a disagreement. This happened over a series of paintings about the life of David. Murillo ended up painting the entire picture himself. After this, Iriarte focused only on his own landscapes.

Artistic Style and Legacy

Iriarte's landscapes were often wild and rugged. They were a bit like the paintings of Salvator Rosa. At that time, Iriarte was the best at painting these kinds of scenes.

There is a painting in Madrid that shows their unfinished work. Murillo had only sketched the figures. Iriarte had not finished the background. People say this painting was left incomplete when they had their disagreement.

Some people called Iriarte the "Spanish Claude Lorraine". Claude Lorraine was a famous French landscape painter. Murillo even said that Iriarte's best landscapes were painted "by Divine inspiration." However, Iriarte's landscapes sometimes lacked a natural feeling. Still, they are pleasing and attractive to look at.

Iriarte passed away in Seville. His paintings can mostly be found in Madrid. You can also see his works in art galleries in St. Petersburg and the Louvre Museum.

Images for kids

• 

  Landscape with Figures
  (c. 1660)

See also

In Spanish: Ignacio de Iriarte para niños