Juan de Arellano

Juan de Arellano specialised in the genre of flower painting during the [Spanish Baroque#ESTILOS#5]. Arellano was Juan de Solís' pupil in Madrid. His dedication to this type of painting, in his later years, was the result of his lack of success with other genres. Initially he followed Flemish models and copied Italian painters like Mario Nuzzi and Margaita Caffi until he found his own personal style which brought him economic success and the praise of the Spanish treatise writers. His compositions are fairly simple, usually with only one stem or a vase that stands out against a neutral background, such as the Vase of Flowers painted in 1668. The colour is very pure and there are great contrasts, using a strong light that was inspired by Italian painting. His brushwork is light and free. One of his most complex works is the flower painting from 1665 which is on display in the Municipal Museum of La Coruña. In this painting Arellano depicts two vases and one of them is reflected in a mirror. He had a number of disciples, the most important of whom were his son, José de Arellano, and his son-in-law, Bartolomé Pérez.