Juan de Arellano is the best known of the floral artists of the Spanish Golden Age. He studied under Juan de Solís. After achieving little success with his compositional works, he specialised in painting pictures of flowers, which soon brought him great success. His first works in this genre were inspired by the Flemish school (Garland of Flowers with a Landscape, 1652, Museo del Prado, Madrid). He later drew inspiration from Italian models, particularly Mario Nuzzi and Margarita Caffi, whom he often equalled in quality. He developed his own particular style which influenced and guided the work of some of his leading pupils, such as his son José de Arellano (painting between 1670 and 1705) and his son-in-law Bartolomé Pérez. In 1983, the Prado included him in ‘Spanish Still-Life and Flower Painting from 1600 to Goya’ at the National Library of Madrid, where his paintings were highly acclaimed. In 1998, the first anthological exhibition of his work was held at the Sala de las Alhajas in Madrid.
Juan de Arellano is the best known of the floral artists of the Spanish Golden Age. He studied under Juan de Solís. After achieving little success with his compositional works, he specialised in painting pictures of flowers, which soon brought him great success. His first works in this genre were inspired by the Flemish school (Garland of Flowers with a Landscape, 1652, Museo del Prado, Madrid). He later drew inspiration from Italian models, particularly Mario Nuzzi and Margarita Caffi, whom he often equalled in quality. He developed his own particular style which influenced and guided the work of some of his leading pupils, such as his son José de Arellano (painting between 1670 and 1705) and his son-in-law Bartolomé Pérez. In 1983, the Prado included him in ‘Spanish Still-Life and Flower Painting from 1600 to Goya’ at the National Library of Madrid, where his paintings were highly acclaimed. In 1998, the first anthological exhibition of his work was held at the Sala de las Alhajas in Madrid.