Luis Eugenio Meléndez

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Luis Eugenio Meléndez (Naples, 1716-Madrid, 1780) was a Spanish painter, he is considered one of the best still life painters of 18th century.

[edit] Life

The son, nephew, and brother of painters, Luis Eugenio Meléndez de Rivera Durazo y Santo Padre was born in Naples in 1716. A year later, his father, Francisco Meléndez, who had lived abroad for almost two decades, returned to Madrid with his family. His uncle, Miguel Jacinto Meléndez, was a portrait painter in the court of Philip V. Like his siblings, Luis Melendez was trained by his father Francisco, who was appointed the King’s Painter of Miniatures in 1725. After “several years, “in his words, “painting royal portraits in jewels and bracelets to serve as gifts for envoys and ambassadors,” he entered the workshop of Louis Michel van Loo (1707-1771), a Frenchman who was the royal portrait painter of Philip V of Spain. For six years, he was van Loo's helper from 1742 to 1748.

When the Real Academia de Bellas Artes was provisionally inaugurated in 1744, Luis Meléndez became a student. The Academy was progressive in that it not only tolerated but encouraged the 'lesser' genres, including still life. However, this opportunity was marred by a petty quarrel; Francisco published as book attacking the Academy in 1747 and Luis was expelled. Unlike his father, Luis professional status was precarious. Young and self-righteous, he now lacked the support of the Academy and his reputation suffered. He was already an accomplished painter as proved by his self-portrait (Louvre) signed in 1847. Subsequently the young artist left for Rome and Naples to pursue other opportunities, he stayed in Italy from 1748 to 1752. After a fire at the Alcázar of Madrid in 1753 destroyed scores of illuminated choir books, Francisco Melendez coaxed his 37-year-old son to come back to Spain to help paint new miniatures. Though Luis Meléndez eventually executed scores of still-lifes for the royal household, he was never able to secure an official appointment to serve the king.

Luis Meléndez worked out of Madrid and initially painted an array of subjects. In 1760 Meléndez' petition for the position of court painter was refused, despite the caliber of his early works. He painted some religious works but after 1760, he began specializing in still life, a decorative genre that could be produced without commission and was therefore lucrative for artists without royal patronage or the support of the Academy. Between 1759 and 1772, he created at least 44 still-lifes for the private museum of natural history belonging to the Prince of Asturias, later King Charles IV of Spain. Of this paintings thirty nine are today in El Museo del Prado, it is rare to find his work outside of Spain.

Despite his talent, Luis Meléndez lived in poverty for most of his life, in 1772 in a letter to the king he declared that he only own his pencils. Unappreciated in his time, when he died in 1780, he was indigent.

[edit] Style

Luis Meléndez updated and enriched the austere tradition of Spanish still life painting, which had been initiated by the 17th-century masters Juan Sánchez Cotán and Francisco de Zurbarán. Like them, Meléndez, studied light effects, texture and the color of fruit and vegetables as well as the earthenware, glass and copper pots beside which the fruit is displayed. Unlike the seventeenth-century masters, however, his subject matter is presented physically closer to the viewer, at a lower vantage point, encouraging the spectator to study the objects for themselves. This exploration was in keeping with the growing spirit of Enlightenment and the king's interest in natural history.

Each still-life painting by Meléndez is visually arresting and compelling and reveals a wonderful technical skill at constructing compositions. Meléndez conveyed the solidity and precise texture of objects in artful compositions of great sophistication. He employed a low vantage point and close-up view of objects placed on a tabletop to give his forms an unprecedented monumentality. The use of strong lighting to bring out the volume of the objects enhanced his extraordinary descriptive skill.

Meléndez seems to have spent more time lighting his scenes than preparing pigments for his palette. He loved painting reflections on the surfaces, edges, and rims of lemons, copper pots, ceramic bowls, plums, and melons. This contributes to the lively character and rhythm of his work. Luis Meléndez described his works as 'an amusing cabinet with all types of foodstuffs that the Spanish climate produces'

Among his works outside el Museo del Prado are: Still life with Oranges, Walnuts and Boxes of Sweetmeats (National Gallery, London); Still life with a Plate of Plums, Pears and Fruit Basket (Masaveu Collection, Museo de Bellas Artes, Asturias) and Still life with Red Breams and Oranges (Private Collection).

[edit] References

Luis Meléndez: Still Lifes by Dr. Peter Cherry and Dr. Juan Luna