Alonso Cano

He learned architecture from his father, Miguel Cano;^[1] painting in the academy of Juan del Castillo,^[1] and from Francisco Pacheco the teacher of Velázquez; and sculpture from Juan Martínez Montañés. As a sculptor, his most famous works are the Madonna and Child in the church of Lebrija (also called Nebrija), and the colossal figures of San Pedro and San Pablo.^[1][2]

He was made first royal architect, painter to Philip IV, and instructor to the prince, Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias. The King gave him the church preferment of a canon of the Granada Cathedral (1652),^[1] in order to take up a position as chief architect of the cathedral. Towards the end of his life, he designed the cathedral façade, which was erected to his design after his death.^[3]

He was notorious for his ungovernable temper; and it is said that once he risked his life by committing the then capital offence of dashing to pieces the statue of a saint, when in a rage with the purchaser who begrudged the price he demanded.^[2][1] According to another story, he found his house robbed after coming home one evening, his wife murdered, and his Italian servant fled. Notwithstanding the presumption against the fugitive, the magistrates condemned Cano, because he was of a jealous temper.^[4] Upon this he fled to Valencia, but afterwards returned to Madrid, where he was put to the torture, which he endured without incriminating himself, and the king received him into favour.^[5]

After the death of his wife he took Holy Orders^[1] as a protection from further prosecution, but still continued his professional pursuits. He died in 1667. In his last moments, when the priest held to him a crucifix, he told him to take it away because it was badly carved.^[6] According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the dying Cano refused the Sacrament from a priest who gave it to conversos.^[1][6]

Works

• San Vicente Ferrer (praying)
• Virgin of the Olive Tree (1629)
• Inmaculada del Facistol (1655–1656) in the sacristy of the Cathedral of Granada.
• Virgen of Bethlehem
• Bust of Saint Paul
• Head of San Juan de Dios
• Annunciation
• Christ Bound to the Column in the church of the Convento del Stmo. Cristo de la Victoria de Serradilla (Cáceres).
• Entrance of the Cathedral of Granada
• Saint John the Baptist as a Youth 1634, in the National Sculpture Museum (Valladolid).
• St. Anthony Preaching to the Fishes (ca. 1630) [The Detroit Institute of Arts]
• Christ and the Samaritan Woman(ca. 1650-1652) Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando Madrid.^[7]
• The Death of Saint Francis. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid.^[8]
• The Christ Crucified (c.1646) Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.^[9]

Works by Cano in the Prado Museum in Madrid include:^[10]

• The Crucifixion
• Saint Anthony of Padua
• The Crucified Christ appears to Saint Teresa
• A king of Spain
• Two kings of Spain
• The Miracle of the Well
• Saint Bernard and the Virgin
• The Virgin and Child
• The Dead Christ supported by an Angel

•  
  Immaculate Conception, c. 1618–20, attributed to Velázquez or Cano
•  
  Saint John and the Poisoned Chalice, c. 1635–37
•  
  Cristo y la Samaritana, Christ and the Samaritan woman, 1640
•  
  Christ Gathering his Robes, 1646
•  
  Cristo crucificado, Christ on the cross, 1646
•  
  Christ and Two Followers on the Road to Emmaus, between 1635 and 1650
•  
  Ideal portrait of a Spanish King, 1643
•  
  St. Vincent Ferrer Preaching, c. 1644–45
•  
  The Annonciation, c.1655 Goya Museum.
•  
  The Marriage of the Virgin, c.1655 Goya Museum.
•  
  Saint Bernard, c. 1656–60
•  
  Antony of Padua, 1660–62
•  
  Immaculate Conception
•  
  Saint John the Baptist

• Paintings of Alonso Cano on Insecula
• Scholarly articles about Alonso Cano both in web and PDF at the Spanish Old Masters Gallery
• Alonso Cano on Artcyclopedia
• Jusepe de Ribera, 1591–1652, a full text exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which includes material on Alonso Cano (see index)

•   This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Alonso Cano". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.