Pedro Berruguete

The Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro with His Son Guidobaldo (c. 1475), now at the Galleria nazionale delle Marche, has been attributed to Berruguete by some art historians but the Flemish painter Justus van Gent, who was working in Urbino at the time, is another strong candidate for its authorship.

He married Elvira González in Paredes de Nava at a later age and had 6 children with her, including Alonso Berruguete, the famous sculptor.

[8] In 2003, to commemorate the fifth centenary of the painter's death, he was the subject of an exhibition in his hometown, Paredes de Nava, which brought together the best of his paintings and clarified some aspects of his life and work.

In 1604, a Sevilla artist named Pablo Céspedes wrote about a Spanish painter who had painted a series of famous men for the studio of the Duke of Urbino.

[9] A ‘Petrus spagnuolus’ or ‘Pietro spagnolo’, which would translate to Pedro the Spaniard, is documented as painting in the court of Federico Montefeltro in 1477 where he would have collaborated and interacted with a man known as Justus of Ghent.

Additionally, it is believed that he returned to Spain after his stay in Italy and brought the influence of Italian Renaissance painting back to his country and it impacted his work in Castile.

A major difference in the work of Petrus spagnuolus is that the paintings in Italy were executed in oil while Pedro Berruguete’s are completed in tempera grassa.

[11] Consisting almost exclusively of religious images, Pedro Berruguete's artwork is identifiable by the unique facial features of both his male and female figures, the amount of brocateado and gilding he uses on garments and backgrounds, his use of color and his architectural framing devices.

Works from his first stage (between 1470 and 1471) include Verification of the cross of Christ in the Church of San Juan of Paredes de Nava and the Adoration of the Magi in the Alvarez Fisa collection.

If he indeed travel to Italy, this would explain the influence of Flemish and Italian Renaissance style inclusive in his third stage of Castilian art.

[19] The Annunciation of the Cartuja de Miraflores is notable for the detail in objects and interesting set of perspectives, which creates a perfect illusion of space.

This piece incorporates a northern influence with contemporary Spanish style in an interior scene and was supposedly commissioned by Queen Isabel.

[20] In all these works the figures are highly individualized, and mastery of space, perspective and composition is enriched with an accurate sense of design and a wise use of color.