Francisco Varela

1580 – 1645

Spanish painter who spent his entire life in his native city Seville. He was one of the disciples of Juan de las Roelas. Only few paintings are known by him. There are two representations of the Last Supper, one of them made in 1622, probably inspired by a Mannerist engraving, is located in the Church of San Bernardo in Seville, the other with an iconography very similar, is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville. Also of note is the Portrait of Martinez Montanes (1616) and San Miguel Archangel (1629). One of his last known works, executed in 1640, is the set of paintings made for the Convent of the Passion of Seville which are also exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts. His originally Mannerist style later evolved towards naturalism, anticipating in some respects the model developed later by Francisco de Zurbarán.

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