SEBASTIÁN MUÑOZ Spanish Painter

Sebastián Muñoz (1650 - Madrid, 30.3.1690) is an example of a typical Spanish painter of the second half of the 17th century. He was a disciple of Claudio Coello. He died very young in a tragic accident during his work, before arriving to the zenith of his artistic career. His apprenticeship and the development of his court career in the shade of a teacher (Claudio Coello) and a patroness (the first wife of Carlos II, Maria Luisa de Orleans) was usual among artists of his time. Gradually, in the first half of the XVIII century it was directed towards an institutionalized apprenticeship in the Academy of San Fernando. The post-Velasquez painters, along with Sebastián Muñoz, are scantily studied. Nowadays El Museo Pictórico and Escala Óptica by Palomino is the main reference for knowing of his life and work, taking into account that Palomino was an intimate friend of Sebastián Muñoz and knew well his life and personality.

The first problem we are facing in the biography of Sebastián Muñoz concerns the place and the date of his birth. Palomino makes him native of Navalcarnero and dates his birth to around 1654. Both events are uncertain in the subsequent historiography of the artist. Concerning the place of birth, Sebastián Muñoz proclaimed himself "native of Segovia"; as to the date of his birth, experts of his work believe that it should be put off to around 1650, though their arguments are weak.

We do not know who Muñoz's first teacher was, though from that time we preserve two portraits of not very high technical standards of Baltasar Álvarez of Toledo, count of Cedillo, and of Ana Álvarez of Toledo. From Palomino we know that Muñoz was a disciple of Coello, that helped him to join the team decorating “al temple”, the profane paintings made for the occasion of entrance of Maria Luisa of Orleans to Madrid for her marriage with Carlos II in January, 1680.

With the money he had got for this work Sebastián Muñoz went to finish his apprenticeship in Rome, where he stayed until 1680. Muñoz took part in an unsuccessful attempt to establish a Painting Academy of the Spanish Nation in Rome. There, he entered diverse academies as a student. Few works preserved from that period, mainly drawings, have essential influence of Carlos Maratti. From that period three nudes are known, preserved in the Uffizi Gallery of Florence.

On return to Spain, Sebastián Muñoz found himself again under the patronage of Claudio Coello to realise the wall decoration of the Capilla de Santo Tomás of Villanueva in the Colegio de la Mantería of Zaragoza. The illusionist influence of Mitelli and Colonna appears strong in this work. Sebastián Muñoz returned to Madrid with his teacher to paint a ceiling of the Queen´s room with the themes from the tale of Angélica and Medoro and the Galería del Corzo del Cuarto de la Reina (together with Isidoro Arredondo, Jan Van Kessel "el Joven" and Antonio Palomino). Except the wall decorations, a portrait of Maria Luisa of Orleans and several portraits of the sovereign entourage are preserved from that period. This period was crowned with the appointment, in August 30, 1688, as painter of the King and with his marriage to Margarita Frías, which did not bring descendants.

Besides executing the court orders, Sebastían Muñoz worked for individuals such as the Congregación de San Eloy de Artífices Plateros of Madrid. They entrusted to him several paintings for the occasion of their holidays and the paintings of el Martirio de San Sebastián and el Martirio de San Zoilo. The most significant among his private orders was that accomplished for the carmelitas calzadas of Madrid after the death of Maria Luisa of Orleans. He created a magnificent picture, Los funerales de la reina María Luisa de Orleans, undoubtedly, the important of his preserved works.

After the death of Maria Luisa the new wedding of Carlos II and Maria Ana of Noeburgo demanded a new decoration of queen´s rooms. This order was entrusted to the Pintor de Cámara, Claudio Coello. Once more he called Sebastián Muñoz, along with Isidoro Arredondo and Francisco Ignacio Ruiz de la Iglesia, to redecorate the rooms. The work had been proceeding without major incidents when on Holy Monday, 30 March, 1690, Sebastián Muñoz fell off the scaffolding where he had been working. He died instantaneously. In this tragic way the life of one of the principal painters of the Court of Madrid during the reign of Carlos II ended sharply. We know little of his life and we preserve even less.