Francisco de Zurbarán and the Fabric of the World

Francisco de Zurbarán, master of Spain’s Golden Age, painted with unmatched stillness and intensity. Famed for his monks, saints and martyrs, he also created mesmerizing still lifes, making fabrics shimmer and fruit glow with quiet presence. This book explores how Zurbarán’s art captures the spiritual inwardness of seventeenth-century Spain, placing him within the mystical and contemplative culture of his time. It also explores Zurbarán’s engagement with Seville’s transatlantic art market and how his devotional paintings offered visual consolation at moments of national crisis. Challenging the limits of genre, Zurbarán’s style reveals a distinctive 'still-life aesthetic' across his work – deeply meditative, hauntingly beautiful and spiritually attuned. A major reappraisal of a canonical painter, this book situates Zurbarán as one of early modern Europe’s most powerful artists.