LONDON.- The first major monographic exhibition in the UK devoted to Francisco de Zurbar醤 (1598–1664), will open at the National Gallery this spring (2 May – 23 August 2026).

Along with Diego Vel醶quez (1599–1660) and Bartolom� Esteban Murillo (1617–1682), Zurbar醤 was one of the leading painters of 17th-century Spain. His paintings, which include stunning life-size depictions of saints, soaring altarpieces and contemplative still lifes, are celebrated for their naturalism, directness and deep emotional power.

This exhibition of over forty paintings will span the chronological and iconographic breadth of the artist’s career. It will unite exceptional works from public and private collections, including the Mus閑 du Louvre ('Saint Bonaventure on His Bier' and 'Saint Apollonia') and the Art Institute of Chicago ('The Crucifixion', 'Saint Romanus of Antioch' and 'Saint Barulas' and Juan de Zurbar醤’s 'Flowers and Fruit in a Chinese Bowl'), the two partner museums to which the exhibition will travel between October 2026 and June 2027, and from the collection of the National Gallery (including Saint Margaret of Antioch and Juan de Zurbar醤’s Still Life with Lemons in a Wicker Basket).

Other major loans from France ('Saint Francis of Assisi', Mus閑 des Beaux-Arts de Lyon), Spain ('Agnus Dei' and 'The Crucified Christ with a Painter', Museo Nacional del Prado; 'Santa Casilda', Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza) and the USA ('Christ and the Virgin in the House at Nazareth', Cleveland Museum of Art; 'Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose', The Norton Simon Foundation) will complete this comprehensive exploration of Zurbar醤’s career, which seeks to evoke the mystery, vision and power of his art.

Zurbar醤 spent most of his life in Seville, then one of the richest cities in Europe, whose maritime links to the Americas made it a hub of global trade. He painted primarily for the city’s religious orders, producing altarpieces and cycles of paintings of staggering scale and ingenuity, but also for private patrons and even, for a time in Madrid, for the king of Spain. He was also an acute observer of reality, and his still-life paintings and works for private devotion are still strikingly vivid today.

The exhibition will be divided into seven different sections: the first room will introduce the artist and explore his unique ability to inspire awe as a painter, his visionary take on the subjects he represents and his artistic particularities ('The Apparition of Saint Peter to Saint Peter Nolasco' and 'The Crucified Christ with a Painter', both from Museo Nacional del Prado).

The second room will dive into the paintings which Zurbar醤 produced for the many religious orders of the city of Seville ('The Vision of Alonso Rodr韌uez', Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando), demonstrating the wide range of his skills as a painter of scale and narrative, and also his incredible inventiveness in the way he structured his compositions and devised iconographic solutions.

The third room, the Fabric of Saints, shows Zurbar醤’s remarkable ability to represent saints as figures from our world, especially through his evocation of fabrics, drapery and textures such as wool, embroidery, leather or fine cord ('Saint Casilda', Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza; 'Saint Apollonia', Mus閑 du Louvre). Zurbar醤’s father was a haberdasher so the artist may have developed a keen interest in textiles from a young age. He was also undoubtedly inspired by the many religious processions, parades and theatrical performances that were part of the visual culture of Seville in the 17th century.

The fourth room focuses on iconography, particularly that of the Immaculate Conception, important to the religious life of Seville. Juxtaposing treatments of the same subject from different moments in his career, visitors will appreciate how Zurbar醤 continuously strove for new ways to evoke powerful feelings through paint.

The fifth room, Beyond Seville, looks at the paintings which Zurbar醤 made for patrons outside the city with which he is most closely associated. In 1634 he received the most prestigious commission of his career: an invitation to travel to Madrid and participate in the decoration of the newly built royal palace, the Buen Retiro. Zurbar醤 was nominated to contribute to the decoration of the Hall of Realms, an enormous room at the heart of the palace complex, some 35 metres long and 10 metres wide. To this room Zurbar醤 contributed 12 paintings, including a series focused on the labours of Hercules, two of which will be shown in the exhibition ('Hercules and Cerberus' and 'Hercules and the Cretan Bull', both Museo Nacional del Prado).

The sixth room displays still lifes, including four by Zurbar醤’s son Juan. It is thought that Francisco de Zurbar醤 may not have produced more than 10 still lifes in his lifetime so this room offers visitors a rare occasion to discover some remarkable examples of this element of his art ('Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose,' The Norton Simon Foundation, shown for the first time alongside the National Gallery’s painting 'A Cup of Water and a Rose').

The last sections of the exhibition will explore the paintings Zurbar醤 made for private devotion and contemplation ('The Family of the Virgin', Abell� Collection) which, though often smaller in size, nevertheless pack a powerful emotional punch ('Agnus Dei', Museo Nacional del Prado; 'The Veil of Veronica', Museo Nacional de Escultura).

This exhibition is the first dedicated presentation of the artist’s paintings at the National Gallery since 1994, when the series of 'Jacob and his Twelve Sons' from Auckland Castle was shown in the Sunley Room. Several works by Zurbar醤 also featured in The Sacred Made Real, an exhibition held in 2009–10.

Building on existing scholarship and accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, Zurbar醤 will highlight new discoveries, reunite works from major commissions and bring together a selection of still lifes by Zurbar醤 and his son, Juan (1620–1649), whose small but superlative oeuvre continues to come to light.

Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, Curator of Later Italian, Spanish and French Paintings, says ‘It is thrilling to present the UK’s first major monographic exhibition on Zurbar醤, which is long overdue. Whether they are 10 feet tall or small enough to hold in the hands, his paintings are extraordinarily powerful. I hope visitors in London – and at our partner venues in Paris and Chicago – will be both amazed and moved by this encounter with Zurbar醤’s work’

Daniel Sobrino Ralston, the National Gallery’s CEEH (Centro de Estudios Europa Hisp醤ica) Associate Curator of Spanish Paintings, says ‘We are excited to present the most comprehensive survey of Zurbar醤’s work ever seen in Britain, bringing together exceptional loans from across the UK, Europe and the United States. This exhibition offers new insights on one of the great artists of the Baroque era, whose visionary paintings have shaped our understanding of 17th-century Spain.’

Ignacio Gal醤, Iberdrola and ScottishPower Chairman, says ‘In our 125th year we are honoured to help showcase in the UK one of the most celebrated painters of the 17th century. Culture and energy share a common purpose – they both illuminate lives and inspire progress. Our commitment to the arts reflects our dedication to preserving heritage and creativity. As a global business with roots in Spain, proudly working in partnership with the UK for two decades, it is fitting to support the National Gallery to bring Zurbar醤 to the UK for the first time in 30 years.’

Exhibition organised by the National Gallery, London, the Mus閑 du Louvre, Paris and the Art Institute of Chicago.

The exhibition in London is curated by Francesca Whitlum-Cooper and Daniel Sobrino Ralston with Imogen Tedbury, in collaboration with Charlotte Chastel-Rousseau (Mus閑 du Louvre) and Rebecca Long (Art Institute of Chicago).

The Mus閑 du Louvre exhibition of Zurbar醤’s works will be on view from 7 October 2026 to 25 January 2027, and the exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago will take place from 28 February until 20 June 2027.