rtist.= A little Spanish boy, Bartolome Esteban
Murillo, born into the home of a poor mechanic, and with no
opportunities save those of his own making, grew to be one of the
greatest of Spanish painters. Both his parents died before he was eleven
years old, and he seems to have been left quite to his own devices.
Until that time he had attended school, where his ability to draw had
shown itself in pictures drawn on the walls of the school building.

After school and on Saturdays he had assisted an artist, doing such work
as cleaning brushes, grinding paints, and running errands. An uncle had
secured this position for him, but seemed to be unable to help him
further. By these means and by painting banners and pictures for the
weekly market, the boy earned his own living. The peasants came to
Seville from all the country around, bringing in their fruits,
vegetables, and wares to sell. Here the young Murillo took his
paintings, which were on coarse, cheap cloth instead of on canvas, which
he could not afford. Sometimes it was a Madonna, sometimes a portrait of
the buyer which he would finish quickly while the crowd watched, or
sometimes one of the beggar boys in the gypsy quarters of the city.

But Murillo had a boy friend who went to London to study with the
great Sir Anthony Van Dyck, and who, when he returned, brought such
news of the wonderful paintings in the galleries of London and Paris
that Murillo began to dream of seeing them. Before he had saved enough
money to go, however, the artist Van Dyck died, and Murillo decided to
go to Madrid, where one of his own countrymen, Velasquez, had won
great fame. He walked nearly all the way, presenting his letter of
introduction to Velasquez, who received him most kindly.

Murillo was now twenty-four years old, enthusiastic, ambitious, and
manly. Velasquez soon discovered his great talent, and not only
received him as a pupil but took him into his own home, where he
remained three years. When, at the end of that time, he returned to
Seville, his fame as an artist was established and pupils came to him
from all over the country. His friends could be found among the very
poorest beggars as well as among the most influential men of the city,
and he was idolized by his pupils. Always of a deeply religious
nature, he chose religious subjects for most of his paintings. In his
studio all swearing and ill conduct were forbidden, and his religious
paintings were produced only after