BILBAO.- The show, featuring 30 paintings and two sculptures, opened its doors after a highly successful stint at the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville, where it drew an impressive 115,808 visitors between December 2, 2024, and March 16th of this year.

Curated by José Luis Merino Gorospe, the Bilbao Museum's own expert in Ancient Art, the exhibition offers a journey through four hundred years of Spanish artistic excellence. While the collection itself is a testament to the Bilbao Museum's strong holdings in Spanish art, this particular selection shines a light on portraiture and religious art – two significant genres of the period. However, visitors will also find compelling examples of still life and landscape paintings.

The impressive lineup of artists includes iconic names like El Greco, whose "The Annunciation" is a key piece, alongside works by José de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, with his notable "Saint Isabel of Hungary and Saint Catherine of Alexandria," and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, represented by "Saint Peter in Tears." The 18th and 19th centuries are highlighted by Luis Paret's "View of Bermeo," Francisco de Goya's insightful "Portrait of Martín Zapater," and Ignacio Zuloaga's evocative "Doña Rosita Gutiérrez." Adding a sculptural dimension are two small but significant religious carvings: Juan de Anchieta's "Calvary" and Juan Pascual de Mena's "Dolorosa."

El Greco (Candia, Crete, 1541 - Toledo, 04/07/1614), The Annunciation, c. 1596-1600. Oil on canvas, 113.8 x 65.4 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Contribution of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia in 1920.

Francisco de Zurbarán (Fuente de Cantos, Badajoz, 1598–Madrid, 1664), Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, c.1650–1660. Oil on canvas, 125 x 100.5 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Contributed by the Bizkaia Provincial Council in 1919.

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Seville, 12/31/1617 - Seville, 04/03/1682), Saint Peter in tears, c. 1650-1655. Oil on canvas, 148 x 104 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Deposit of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia through the BBVA dation in 2000.

Francisco de Goya (Fuendetodos, Zaragoza, 03/30/1746 - Bordeaux, France, 04/16/1828), Portrait of Martín Zapater, 1797. Oil on canvas, 83 x 65 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Legacy of Don Ramón de la Sota y Aburto in 1980.

Ignacio Zuloaga (Eibar, Gipuzkoa, July 26, 1870 - Madrid, October 31, 1945), Portrait of Mrs. Rosita Gutiérrez, c. 1914-1915. Oil on canvas, 166.5 x 140 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum.  Acquired by public subscription in 1915.

A special highlight for Bilbao audiences is the first-time display of Mariano Fortuny's "The Bullring of Seville." This vibrant painting, acquired by the museum last year thanks to a bequest from Begoña María Azkue, is a prime example of Fortuny's naturalistic style and is considered a significant addition to the collection, recognizing Fortuny's standing as a major 19th-century European artist.

Mariano Fortuny (Reus, Tarragona, 1838–Rome, 1874), The Bullring of Seville, c.1870. Oil on canvas. 74 x 95 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Acquired in 2024 thanks to the bequest of Begoña María Azkue.

The exhibition is structured to guide visitors through different artistic themes. It begins with "From the Table to the Horizon," showcasing the still lifes of Juan de Arellano and Luis Meléndez, demonstrating the evolution of the genre. This section also features landscapes from the 17th to 19th centuries by artists like Ignacio de Iriarte, Francisco Gutiérrez Cabello, Luis Paret, and Fortuny, each offering a unique perspective on the representation of place.

Juan de Arellano (Santorcaz, Madrid, 04/16/1614 - Madrid, 10/12/1676), Basket of flowers, 1671. Oil on canvas, 84 x 105.5 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Deposit of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia through the BBV in 1997.

Luis Meléndez (Naples, Italy, June 17, 1716 - Madrid, July 11, 1780), Still life with fruit and a jug, c. 1773. Oil on canvas, 49 x 36.8 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Legacy of Don Laureano de Jado in 1927.

The central section, "Beyond the Surface," focuses on portraiture, presenting examples from courtly depictions by Alonso Sánchez Coello, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, and Claudio Coello, to the "divine" portraits of Zurbarán's saints. The psychological depth of Goya's portraits and the theatrical flair of Vicente López's works are also explored. The section concludes with female figures in landscapes by Zuloaga and Anselmo Guinea, showcasing different approaches to capturing the female form within a setting.

Alonso Sánchez Coello (Benifairó de les Valls, Valencia, 01/15/1531 - Madrid, 08/08/1588), Portrait of Juana of Austria, Princess of Portugal, c. 1557. Oil on canvas, 116 x 93.5 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Acquired in 1990.

Juan Pantoja de la Cruz (Valladolid, c. 1553 - Madrid, 10/26/1608), Portrait of Prince Philip Emmanuel of Savoy, c. 1604. Oil on canvas, 111.5 x 89.5 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Acquired in 1994.

Finally, "Lights and Shadows of Devotion" brings together sacred artworks, featuring the aforementioned masters alongside pieces by Luis de Morales, Francisco de Herrera the Elder, Pedro Orrente, Vicente Castelló, Juan Ribalta, José Antolínez, and later works by Luis Paret and Juan Pascual de Mena. This section illustrates the diverse ways in which art served religious expression over the centuries.

Luis Paret (Madrid, 11/02/1746-Madrid, 14/02/1799), View of Bermeo, 1783. Oil on copper, 61.5 x 83.2 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Acquired thanks to the sponsorship of BBK and the support of the Friends of the Museum in 2017.

Juan de Anchieta (Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa, 03/15/1533 - Pamplona, ​​11/30/1588), Calvary. Polychrome wood, 55 x 43.5 x 9.5 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Acquired in 1988.

Juan Pascual de Mena (Villaseca de la Sagra, Toledo, 17/07/1707 - Madrid, 16/04/1784), Dolorosa, c. 1754-1756. Carved and polychrome wood, 63.5 x 36.7 x 30.1 cm. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Legacy of Don Laureano de Jado in 1927.

The return of "From El Greco to Zuloaga" offers a valuable opportunity for visitors to appreciate the depth and breadth of Spanish art history through a carefully curated selection from the Bilbao Museum's own significant collection. The inclusion of the newly acquired Fortuny painting adds an extra layer of interest to this already compelling exhibition.