26 June – 30 September 2012

Room C. Jerónimos building

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682) created some of his most important late works as a result of his friendship with Justino de Neve (1625-1685), a Canon of Seville Cathedral. Neve obtained important public commissions for the artist in the city including the lunettes of The Founding of Santa Maria Maggiore for the church of Santa María la Blanca, The Baptism of Christ for the Cathedral and The Virgin and Child distributing Bread to the Priests for the Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes, an institution founded by Neve himself. The Canon also had a fine collection of paintings by Murillo including The Immaculate Conception of the Venerables, The Infant Saint John the Baptist and three exquisite works painted on obsidian.

The exhibition will travel on to the Fundación Focus- Abengoa in Seville (which now occupies the Hospital de los Venerables) and the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London. General of the 18 works associated with the friendship between Murillo and Neve and now included in the exhibition have been specially restored.

Co-organised with the Fundación Focus-Abengoa and the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London.