hope to profit by his instruction. He accordingly proceeded thither in 1642, and paid his court to Velasquez, who received him with great kindness, admitted him into his academy, and procured for him the best means of improvement beyond his own instruction, by obtaining for him access to the rich treasures of art in the royal collections, where his attention was particularly directed to the works of Titian, Rubens, and Vandyck.
MURILLO'S RETURN TO SEVILLE.
After a residence of three years at Madrid, Murillo
returned to Seville, where he was commissioned
to paint his great fresco of St. Thomas of Villanuova
distributing alms to the poor, in the convent of San
Francisco, consisting of sixteen compartments.—The
subject suited his genius, and gave full scope
for the display of his powers, which were peculiarly
adapted to the representation of nature in her most
simple and unsophisticated forms. The Saint stands
in a dignified posture, with a countenance beaming
with benevolence and compassion, while he is surrounded
by groups of paupers, eagerly pressing forward
to receive his charity, whose varied character
and wretchedness are portrayed with wonderful art
and truthfulness of expression. This and other works
produced emotions of the greatest astonishment
among his countrymen, established his reputation
as one of the greatest artists of his age, and procured
him abundant employment.
