Nunez Don Pedro Villavicencio

Nunez Don Pedro Villavicencio a Spanish painter of note, was born at Seville of a noble family in 1635. He studied design as an accomplishment, but made such excellent progress that he was induced to enter the school of Murillo, though without the intention of practicing painting. He was greatly beloved by that master, and studied for some time in his school; after which he visited Malta for the discharge of his duties as a knight of St. John, and studied under Mattio Preti, called II Calabrese. Nunez followed for a short time the vigorous style of that master, but afterwards returned to the tender and harmonious coloring of Murillo. According to Bermudez, he was distinguished in portraits, and painted children in a very beautiful manner, little inferior to Mlirillo. He presented several of his pictures to the academy of Seville, where he died in 1700. There is a Holy Family by him at Alton Towers, the seat of lord Shrewsbury, which partakes of the dark style of Petri.