The paintings of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1[zasłonięte]618-16),which depict women and children of the artist's world, constitute an extensive and appealing record of the everyday life of his times. Although best known for his religious works,these lively,realist portraits of flower girls,urchins and beggars on the streets of Seville reveal Murillo's broad scope and adaptability to the requirements of his patron. Taking the Dulwich Picture Gallery s excellent collection of masterpieces as a starting point,this book demonstrates Murillo's far-reaching popularity and the influence he had on artists such as Thomas Gainsborough, whose fancy pictures show a clear affinity with Murillo's paintings of children. The artworks are sumptuously illustrated, while reproductions of other Murillo paintings put the master's enduring art into a historical and social context. There is important new scholarship on attribution and technique, with x-ray images revealing fresh and unexpected insights into the genesis and evolution of Murillo's compositions. One piece has never before been shown in print and several of the other key works have been newly conserved -bringing them back to life in their full splendour. The book also shows how Dulwich played a seminal role in collecting works by Murillo. It was Dulwich s collection of Murillos,gathered in Britain s first purpose-built gallery,which promoted the artist s reputation and enabled artists like Thomas Gainsborough to soak up his influence.