110° THE FINE ARTS. 
In the beginning of the 15th century there came to Spain the Florentine 
artists Gerardo Starnina and Dello, whose works it is true no longer exist, 
but which are said to have been very fine. About the year 1462 lived the 
Spanish artists Juan Sanchez de Castro and Pedro Sanchez; works by 
both of them are still extant, which as respects delicacy of execution and 
sprightliness of coloring are of distinguished merit. There also lived in 
Spain about the year 1455 an English artist named Jorge (George), good 
portraits by whom are still extant. The first Spanish painter who went to 
Rome to perfect himself in his art was Antonio del Rincon (1446-1500), 
who after his return executed many fine works; all, however, have been 
destroyed with the exception of an altar-piece of seventeen compartments. 
It is expressive and very clever. Pablo de Aregio and Francesco Neapoli 
painted in the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci, as appears from two side wings — 
on the high altar of the cathedral of Valencia of the year 1506. At that 
time Spain was rich in artists, some of whom were of a high order; yet 
there were also foreigners among them. Johann Cornelius Vermeyen 
(Juan de Majo or Barbalonga), from Beverwyck near Haarlem, produced 
church paintings and beautiful landscapes. Titian also remained here 
for some time, and the great number of paintings by him which are found 
in Spain (they are reckoned at 85) attest the high esteem in which he was 
held by the emperor Charles V. and Philip II. Great reputation was 
gained by Fernando Yarmez, a pupil of Raphael: his best work is the 
Adoration of the Kings. Rubens too spent a considerable time in Spain, 
of whom we shall have occasion to speak again in treating of the Nether- 
land school. There are also in Spain 96 pictures and 46 designs for 
pictures by Rubens; yet strictly speaking he was of little benefit to the 
Spanish school, as the reputation to which he attained was injurious to 
that of Italy. 
Passing over a great number of artists whose enumeration would have 
led us too far, and of whom we will particularize only Herrera and Velas- 
quez de Silva, we turn to Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618-82), who is 
rightly esteemed one of the greatest painters of Spain and indeed ‘of his time. 
He was born in Seville and studied the art of designing with Juan de Cas- 
tillo; but he remained deficient in coloring until he came to rely upon himself 
and formed his own style. At this period he painted pictures in several 
churches, which show strong marks of mannerism. Then came Pedro de 
Moya, a pupil of Vandyck, to Seville; and on Murillo’s thus becoming 
acquainted with the coloring of Vandyck, he determined to repair to that 
master for instruction, when he received information of his death. Italy 
then became the goal of his wishes; but being without the means of defray- 
ing his expenses thither, he painted an immense number of little sacred 
pictures which were sent to India. With the money saved from the pro- 
ceeds he went to Madrid, where under Velasquez he copied the paintings 
of Titian, Rubens, Vandyck, Ribera, &c.; by this course he profited so 
greatly that when in 1645 he returned to Seville, he gained universal 
applause by his paintings in the convent of St. Francis. They were exe- 
cuted in an entirely new style, in the taste of Vandyck, Spagnoletto, and 
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