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HERRERA


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HERRERA


disciple of Garcilasso de la Vega, whose form he per- fects and to whose expression he adds more pathos and dignity. Although a cleric, havmg taken minor orders, he rarely reflects in his verse the feelings of a churchman. On the contrary, it is the martial note that he sounds most loudly and most frequently, when he is not singing in Petrarchian strains of his Platonic attachment — it should be remembered that he had only minor orders, and had probably taken them only that he might enjoy certain ecclesiastical benefices — to Eliodora, that is, Leonor de Milan, Condesa de Gelves and wife of Alvaro de Portugal. The most famous of his compositions are the odes in which he extols the prowess of Don John of Austria, as exhib- ited in the suppression of the outbreak of the Moriscos in the region of the Alpujarras and at the battle of Lepanto, and commemorates the death of Dom Se- bastian, King of Portugal, who perished with the flower of the Portuguese nobility during a Quixotic expedition against the tribes in Northern Africa. These are classics of Spanish literature. That Her- rera was not devoid of critical acumen is proved by his prose " Anotaciones d las obras de Garcilaso de la Vega", his poetical master. In the opinion of Tick- nor, he delilaerately undertook to create a new poetical diction and style in Spanish, deeming that the lan- guage as written before his time lacked the full meas- ure of dignity, sonority, and poetic pliancy that it should have; but Ticknor has probably exaggerated the endeavours of Herrera in this direction, in so far as any conscious process is concerned. However the case may be, it must be admitted that there is real beauty and majesty in the verse of Herrera, and that his countrymen are right in terming him " the divine " {el divino). He himself published only part of his verse, "Algunas obras" (Seville, 1582). His "Poe- sfas" are accessible in the "Biblioteca de autores espafioles", vol. XXXII; the ode "Por la victoria de Lepanto" was edited critically by Morel-Fatio (Paris, 1893).

Fernando de Herrera, Cmitroversia sobre sus anotaciones d las obras deOarcHoffode la Vega.Poesias inl-ditas (.Seville, in publica- tions of the Sociedad de biblidfilos andaluces) ; BounciEZ, Les sonnets de F. de II. in the Annaies de la FacuUe des Leltres de Bordeaux (1891); Fitzmaurice-Kelly, History of Spanish Lit- eratuie; Ticknor, History of Spanish Literature.

J. D. M. Ford.

Herrera, (1) Francisco (el Viejo, the Elder), a Spanish painter, etcher, medallist, and architect; b. in Seville, 157G; d. in Madrid, 165(5. Luiz Fernandez was his teacher, but Herrera soon broke away from the timid style and Italian traditions of Spanish paint- ing of his day, and became the pioneer of that bold, vigourous, effective, and natural style whose pre- eminent exponent was Velasquez. Herrera was the first to use long brushes, which may, in part, account for his "modern" technique and dexterous brush- work. Many authorities ascribe to him the founda- tion of the Spanish School. His great talent brought him many pupils, whom his passionate temper and rough manners soon drove away. Velasquez, when thirteen years old, was placed under this great pro- fessor, and remained a year with him. Herrera, who was an accomplished worker in bronze, engraved medals skilfully. Tliis gave rise to the charge of counterfeiting, and he fled for sanctuary to the Jesuit College, for which he painted "The Triumph of St. Hermengild", a picture so impressive that when Philip IV saw it (1621) he immediately pardoned the painter. Herrera thereupon returned to Seville. His ungoverned temper soon drove his son to Rome and his daughter to a nunnery. Herrera's pictures are full of energy, the drawing is good and the colouring so cleverly managed that the figures stand out in splen- did relief. Many of his small easel pictures, in oil, represent fairs, dances, interiors of inns, and deal with the intimate life of Spain. His large works are nearly


all religious. In Seville he painted a "St. Peter" for the cathedral and a " Last Jutlgment" for the church of San Bernardo, the latter being considered his mas- terpiece. After executing many commissions in his native town he removed to Madrid (1650), where he won great renown. In the archiepiscopal palace are four large canvases, one of which, " Moses Smiting the Rock", is celebrated for its dramatic qualities and daring teclmique. In the cloister of the Merced Cal- zada is a noteworthy series of paintings whose sub- jects are drawii from the life of St. Ramon. He painted much in fresco, in which medium his best effort is believed to have been on the vault of San Bona Ventura, but this, with all his other frescoes, has disappeared. None of his architectural productions are mentioned, and there remain but a few of his etchings, all of which were reproductions of his paint- ings. One of his pictures, " St. Basil dictating his doctrine", is in the Louvre, and another, "St. Mat- thew", is in the Dresden Gallery. Herrera left two sons, "el Rubio" (the ruddy) who dietl before he ful- filled the great promise of his youth, and "el Mozo" (the younger).

(2) Francisco Herrera (el Mozo, the Younger), a Spanish painter and architect; b. in Seville, 1622; d. in Madrid, 1655. He was the second son of Her- rera, "el Viejo", and began his career vmder his father's instruction, but the elder's violent temper at last became so intolerable that the youth fled to Rome. For sLx years the younger Herrera assiduously de- voted himself to the study of architecture, perspec- tive, and the antique, his aim being fresco painting. But it was still life in which he excelled. He already painted hndegones, fish so cleverly done that the Ro- mans called him: "il Spagnuolo degli pesci". In 1656 he returned to Seville, foimded the Seville Acad- emy, and in 1(J60 became its sub-director imder Mu- rillo. He Ls said to have been vain, suspicious, hot- tempered, and jealous; at any rate he resented his subordinate post and went to Madrid about 1661 (Cean Benmidez). Before leaving his native city he painted two large pictures for the cathedral and a " St. Francis" for the chapel of this saint. Sir E. Head declares the latter to be his masterpiece. In Madrid he painted a great "Triumph of St. Hermengild" for the church of the Carmelite friars, and so beautiful a group of frescoes in San Felipe el Real that Philip IV commanded him to paint the dome of the chapel of Our Lady of Atocha, and thereafter made him painter to the king and superintendent of royal buildings. Besides his marvellous work in still life he painted many portraits, and while these lacked the vigour, colour, and bold design which characterize his father'a work, they exliibit a far greater knowledge and use of chiaroscuro. Charles II kept him at his Court and made him master of the royal works. For this king Herrera renovated the cathedral of El PUar, in Sara- gossa. The Madrid gallery contains his " St. Hermen- gild".

Radcliffe, Schools and Masters of Painting (New York, 1907); Stihung-Maxwell, Annals of the Artists of Spain (London, 184S).

Leigh Hunt.

Herrera Barnuevo, Sebastiano de, painter, architect, sculptor and etcher; b. in Madrid, 1611 or 1619 ; d. there, 1671 ; son of Antonio Herrera, a sculp- tor of fair ability, who, after teaching his son the rudiments of his art, placed him with Cano. Under this famous artist he made such great progress in both painting and sculpture that Philip IV took him into his service, commanded him to decorate the chapel of Our Lady of Atocha, and made him guardian of the Escorial, for which he henceforth worked. Most of his pictures are in Madrid. His masterpiece is the "St. Barnabas", in the hall of the council-chamber in the Escorial, and was long regarded as by the hand of Guido. Nearly as famous is the " Beatification of St.