Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra (Granada, 1638-1689) was a Spanish Baroque painter and one of the most representative figures of the Granada school. A pupil of Alonso Cano, Pedro de Moya and Juan de Sevilla, his first known work was the decoration for the Corpus Christi celebrations in his native city in 1661.
In 1670 he completed the paintings for the church of the Santos Justo y Pastor in Granada, and he was appointed painter to the cathedral. His output is large but uneven, and religious subjects dominate, such as the Apparition of the Virgin to Saint Bernard or the Virgin of the Rosary.
In 1676 he moved to Madrid, where he enjoyed the patronage of the Marquis of Mancera, which helped him obtain the title of painter to the king. Palomino records several clashes with other Madrid painters, which he links to Bocanegra's proud character.
His style is close to that of Cano. His religious images are admired for their delicacy and charm, while his drawing is weaker, offset by a pleasing colour that reflects an interest in Flemish art, especially Van Dyck. Surviving works include the Triumph of David and the Virgin and Child with Saints Isabel and John the Baptist, both in the Prado, and the Allegory of the Plague in the Musée Goya in Castres.
Works (1)
This allegory by Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra, dated 1684 and painted in oil on canvas, brings together plague, a terrestrial globe and a corpse in a single scene. The record offers no further information about its commission or symbolism, so any reading of these elements should remain general: the figure of death beside the globe suggests a meditation on human frailty in the face of epidemic disease.
Where to see the work
- Goya Museum Castres · 1
Teachers and pupils
Studied with
- Alonso Cano 1601–1667
- Pedro de Moya 1610–1674