Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-04-15

who compare him dlsadvantageously to
Velasquez. his great contemporary; but
comparisons between men so utterly
unlike In character and life, as we'll as
in the subjects and manner of their art
are worse than useless Each reigned
supreme over separate kingdom. To
Velasquez. the state painter. fell the
court and the nobility. with their
strong, aristocratic personalities, rich
costumes and stirring, contentious life;
to Murillo. the church painter, fell the
realm of religious art. with it's ecstatic
emptying of personality, its glorifica-
tion of poverty and sacrifice and It's
tension toward the other life. Modern
art, with Its lack of faith and of love
of technique, enshrines Velasquez as
one OF its falrest idols and frowns on
Murlllo as meretricious caterer to the
popular vote. Though it may be true
that when compared to the sunlight
brilliancy of Velasquez the greatness of
Murillo is out as that of the moon, that
is no reason for calling out. as in the
ancient amphitheater. Thumbs down."
Murillo was the last of Spains great
painters before the decadence set in.
Before setting forth the details of his
life let us inquire what position he
takes in the long line of Spanish ar
tists. Critics are sometimes puzzled
whether to call him a "realist" or an
ioSdi}Sl, Dul u illdhc MIN III lIlLO one
or the other of these much abused and
confused classifications is an Impossible
feat. He was certainly rather n poet
than realist, and rather 4 naturalist
than an idealist. A religious poet in
paint, with an underlying vein Of genre.
would describe him quite accurately.
Had he allowed this vein of genre full
swing he would have become the Span
, ish representative of the Dutch ideal,
the painter OF the street urchin and
beggar and the daily life of the common
people. But he was soon caught in the
strong currents of religious feeling,
which swept him off his feet and filled
him with an ardor that inspired his
brush to depict so wildly that side of
feminine and poetic-the mysticism SO
typical Of the popular order of ST.
Francis. Far mare than the Italian
painters of his time or for several gene
rationS, ne was Il teller of stories and
a teacher OF truths, and his works enter
so much the more into the warp and
wool of Spanish life and history.
A comparison OF Murillo with the
earlier religious painters of Spain will
explain his transcendant popularity.
His predecessors had been either fana-
tics or Journalists. Owing to the long
possession of large part OF Spain by
the Moors through the middle ages. the
hccuInuialior OF wealth. IN tHe nanuS OF
the Jews and the slow national Chris
tan development before the glorious
reigns of Ferdinand and Isabella. Spain
had not until then &c. 1900 A.. d. had
uncontrolled power to crush the unbe-
lever. So that Spain's MEDIEVAL fanat-
icism. made more bitter by long re-
preston, did not work itself out until
the Renaissance period. and Its very
| historic incongruity. Its opposition to
the spirit of Indifference, tolerance of
| religious liberty to which other coun-
tries had attained, made this fanaticism
| the more bloody, the more dark and in
| tolerant. It was at this very time (six-