Juan de Alfaro y Gámez facts for kids
Juan de Alfaro y Gámez (born in 1643, died in 1680) was an important Spanish painter during the Baroque period. He was born in Córdoba. He is known for his portraits and religious paintings.
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Early Life and Artistic Training
Juan de Alfaro started his art studies with a teacher named Antonio del Castillo. Later, he moved to Madrid to finish his training with the famous artist Velázquez. Velázquez was a very influential painter, and Juan de Alfaro learned a lot from him, especially how to paint portraits. Velázquez even had him make copies of paintings by other great artists like Titian, Rubens, and Van Dyck.
Notable Works and Style
Juan de Alfaro followed Velázquez's style, especially in his portraits. He painted many religious scenes for churches. For example, in a church belonging to the Carmelites, he painted a picture called Incarnation. In the Imperial College church in Madrid, you can find his painting of the Guardian Angel.
A Lesson in Humility
There's a famous story about Juan de Alfaro that shows he might have been a bit too proud of his work. He was hired to paint scenes from the life of Saint Francis for a convent. Instead of creating original art, he copied them from other pictures. Then, he boldly signed each painting with "Alfaro pinxit," which means "Alfaro painted this."
His first teacher, Antonio del Castillo, wanted to teach him a lesson about humility. Castillo got permission to paint one of the scenes himself. At the bottom of his painting, he wrote "non pinxit Alfaro," meaning "Alfaro did not paint this." This phrase became a popular saying to remind people not to be too boastful.
Beyond Painting
Juan de Alfaro was not just a painter. He loved to travel and was very interested in books and writing. He even wrote poetry and took notes about the lives of other artists like Becerra, Céspedes, and Velázquez.
One of his important portraits was of the famous Spanish writer Calderón de la Barca. This portrait was placed above the writer's tomb in a church in Madrid.
Later Life and Challenges
Sadly, Juan de Alfaro's life ended with some difficulties. He had a patron, the Admiral of Castille, who supported him. However, when the Admiral faced problems and was sent away, Juan de Alfaro left him. Later, when the Admiral returned, Juan de Alfaro tried to get his support again. The Admiral refused, which made Juan de Alfaro very sad and led to his death in Madrid.
See also
In Spanish: Juan de Alfaro y Gámez para niños
