OF NOTE
PAINTING A PARABLE
Meadows Museum showcases six paintings by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
I
t is a classic tale: A young man secures his inheritance, descends into ruin, and then returns, repentant, to those he left behind. It is also the basis for the Biblical parable of the prodigal son as written in the Book of Luke. Murillo: Picturing the Prodigal Son at the Meadows Museum features six paintings by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, the 17th-century Sevillian master, based upon this teaching. Museum exhibitions usually reunite works, separated by centuries, that were produced for a single patron. The original patron of this series remains unknown. Remarkably, however, with the exception of a brief interlude when one of these paintings entered the Vatican collection, this series has remained whole over the past 350 years. “It is the only series by Murillo that remains intact,” states Amanda W. Dotseth, director ad interim and curator of the Meadows Museum. Since the late 20th century, these works have belonged to the National Gallery of Ireland, which recently spent six years meticulously cleaning them. According to Dotseth, the exhibition is a celebration of these conservation efforts. This the first time that these works are traveling to the US, and the only stop on this continent. As a university museum, the Meadows often augments its exhibitions with source material to contextualize the work on view. “As a Biblical subject for painters, the Prodigal Son is not common in Spain,” Dotseth explains. In an exploration of Murillo’s possible inspirations, the museum presents graphic work, including a late 15th-century engraving by the German artist Albrecht Dürer and suites of 17thcentury etchings by French artist Jacques Callot and Italian artist Pietro Testa. Prints such as these were easily disseminated across Europe, giving artists a way to see what was happening across the continent. Callot’s suite not only broke the story into 11 episodes, but also embellished upon it. A first-edition collection of Lope de Vega’s dramas, including Prodigal Son, is also in the exhibition. Published in Seville in 1604, Dotseth notes, “It is a religious play that takes place in six acts. It would have been something Murillo would have known.” She points to key influences from this play on several of the paintings. These include the now-muted greens that Murillo used in the young man’s clothing, signifying his naïveté, as well as the inclusion of wine in The Prodigal Son Feasting. “Wine is referred to specifically in Lope de Vega’s play as a reference to vino de olvido, the wine of forgetfulness,” Dotseth says. Taking a lead from Callot, Murillo expands the story in a few places. “In the parable, details are thin. There is a lot of room for Murillo,” adds Dotseth. Painting loans from several institutions, including the Kimbell Art Museum’s enigmatic Four Figures on a Step, round out the exhibition. The final gallery highlights the Meadows’ vast holdings of Murillo’s work, including the newly cleaned Jacob Laying Peeled Rods before the Flocks of Laban. The exhibition is a bittersweet one for Dotseth; it was the last major project she worked on with Mark Roglán, the museum’s late director. The sumptuously illustrated catalogue, which they co-edited, is dedicated to his memory. –By Nancy Cohen Israel
From left: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617–1682), The Departure of the Prodigal Son, 1660s, oil on canvas, 41.12 x 53 in. National Gallery of Ireland. Presented, Sir Alfred and Lady Beit, 1987 (Beit Collection). Photograph © National Gallery of Ireland; Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617–1682), The Prodigal Son Feasting, 1660s, oil on canvas, 41.12 x 53 in. National Gallery of Ireland. Presented, Sir Alfred and Lady Beit, 1987 (Beit Collection). Photograph © National Gallery of Ireland; Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617–1682), The Prodigal Son Driven Out, 1660s, oil on canvas, 41.12 x 53 in. National Gallery of Ireland. Presented, Sir Alfred and Lady Beit, 1987 (Beit Collection). Photograph © National Gallery of Ireland.
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