Murillo: From Heaven to Earth

One of the leading religious painters of the 17th century, Bartholomé Esteban Murillo is best known for his vast canvases depicting biblical scenes and the life of Christ. This exhibition of more than 50 works at the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas (18 September–29 January 2023) shines a light on his lesser-known secular scenes, which reveal the artist’s interest in the subject of everyday life. At the heart of the show are Murillo’s masterpieces Four Figures on a Step, which depicts a huddled group of figures on the streets of Seville, and Two Women at the Window (both c. 1655–60). The artist’s more characteristic painting Marriage Feast at Cana (c. 1672) – one of the few known paintings from early modern Spain to depict a Black figure – is also on show. Find out more on the Kimbell’s website.

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Saint Thomas of Villanueva Dividing His Clothes (c. 1667), Barthelomé Esteban Murillo. Cincinnati Art Museum

Four Figures on a Step (c. 1655–60), Bartholomé Esteban Murillo. Dulwich Picture Gallery, London

The Marriage Feast at Cana (c. 1672), Bartholomé Esteban Murillo. Photo: © The Henry Barber Trust, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham