Sánchez Cotán, Juan

Sánchez Cotán, Juan (bapt. Orgaz, 25 June 1560; d Granada, 8 Sept. 1627).
Spanish painter. He was a still-life painter in Toledo until 1603, when he retired from secular life to become a lay brother at the Carthusian monastery in Granada. The religious works he painted after this date are unexceptional, but as a still-life artist he ranks with the great names of European painting. Characteristically he depicts a few simple fruits or vegetables, arranged on a ledge or shelf with an almost geometric clarity and standing out against a dark background (Quince, Cabbage, Melon, Cucumber, c.1600, San Diego Mus. of Art). Each form is scrutinized with such intensity that the pictures take on a mystical quality, conveying a feeling of wonder and humility in front of the humblest items in God's creation. Sánchez Cotán's austere style had considerable influence on Spanish painting, notably on Zurbarán.