Pedro Perete facts for kids

Pedro Perete (born around 1610, died April 8, 1639) was a talented artist from the 1600s. He was an engraver and painter who lived in Madrid, Spain. Pedro learned his art from his father, Peter Perret, who was also a famous engraver. Pedro changed his family's Dutch name, "Perret," to the Spanish "Perete." Sometimes, people have confused his artworks with those made by his father.

Early Life and Training

Pedro Perete was the son of Peter Perret and Isabel de Faria. He was likely born in Madrid in 1610. At that time, his father was working for King Philip III in Spain.

In 1622, when Pedro was about 12 years old, King Philip IV gave his father 200 ducats. A ducat was a type of gold coin used back then. This money came with a special condition: Peter Perret had to teach his son, Pedro, everything he knew about art. This shows how important it was for artists to pass on their skills.

Sadly, Pedro's father died in 1625. This left Pedro and his sister, Josefa, in a difficult situation. They had to ask the king for help because they were struggling financially.

Pedro Perete's Artworks

Pedro Perete's earliest known artworks are from 1628. One of these was an image showing the portraits of three kings: Philip I, Charles V, and Philip II. Another important early work was the cover for a book called Disputatio de vera naturalis et legitimi partus designatione. This book was written by Alfonso Carranza. The cover included a portrait of the author and special poems by Juan de Jáuregui.

Cover of a book illustrated by Pedro Perete in 1628.

His most famous work is the set of illustrations for a book titled Origen y dignidad de la caça (Origin and Dignity of Hunting). This book was written by Juan Mateos and printed in Madrid in 1634. Pedro signed his name on these engravings. The book's cover also featured a portrait of the author, Juan Mateos. An art historian named Carl Justi later used this engraving to identify Mateos as the person in an unfinished painting by the famous artist Velázquez.

Other works by Pedro Perete include a picture of the powerful Count-Duke of Olivares riding a horse. He also created an illustration of a "cloth of wild boar," which was based on a drawing by Francisco Collantes.

Pedro also made many prints for religious books. For example, he illustrated a book about Sister Margarita de la Cruz, a nun. This book was printed in 1636. It featured a front cover print of the nun with images representing Pobreza (Poverty) and Oración (Prayer). He also engraved a portrait of King Philip IV, which was inspired by one of Velázquez's paintings of the king.

In his later years, Pedro Perete continued to create many engravings. He made a reverse engraving of a portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares that was originally done by Rubens. He also engraved eighteen busts (head and shoulder images) of heroes for a book published in 1638. Another work was a portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares, based on a drawing by Herman Panneels.

Paintings by Perete

Even though Pedro Perete was mainly known as an engraver, he also painted. Only two of his paintings are known to exist today. One painting shows the story of the rich man and Lazarus (called Lázaro y el rico Epulón). The other painting is about the Raising of Lazarus (called Resurrección de Lázaro). The first painting is signed by P. Peret. Both paintings can be found in the Church of the Saviour in Herrín de Campos, Spain.

Death

Pedro Perete passed away in Madrid on April 8, 1639. He was buried in the parish of St Sebastian's Church in Madrid. After his death, his student, Pedro de Villafranca, took over his role as the king's engraver.

See also

In Spanish: Pedro Perete para niños