- Year Born/Died: 1622–1690
- City Born: Seville
- Significant Works: History of the Prophet Elias, Triumph of the Cross
- Movement: Baroque
Juan de Valdés Leal was a painter but also worked as an architect and sculptor. Ecclesiastical authorities commissioned a considerable chunk of his art in Cordoba and Seville. He’s well-known for painting dramatic scenes that frequently seemed aggressive.Juan’s artwork was unlike anything being created around him at the time. Despite the flaws in his approach, his utilization of light and color was one-of-a-kind. He was more concerned with depicting emotions than aesthetics.
Valdes and Bartolome Esteban Murillo came together to form the Seville Academy of Art, notwithstanding their painting techniques being opposites. Following Murillo’s death in 1682, Valdes became the leading painter in Seville and kept painting till his demise.
