Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter born in Seville in late December 1617. While many of his contemporaries left their native country to seek commissions elsewhere, Murillo remained true to his roots and He remained in Seville most of his life, with the exception of two short stays in Madrid: one from 1642 to 1645 and the other for several months in 1658. While these excursions – particularly the first – played a role notable role in the development of his personal style, Murillo ultimately chose to found his Painting Academy in his hometown. Murillo was a prolific and talented painter who gained many followers as well as international recognition during his artistic career. He is best known for his religious works, which offer intimate and tender portraits of important biblical subjects. Conversely, he paints the faces of young street urchins and fruit sellers with the same gentleness and delicacy as the Virgin Mary or the Child Jesus. In the context of art history, Spain has been described as "the classic country of brutal observation, of the 'slice taken from life' served raw and bleeding." His immediate predecessors, including masters like Diego Velázquez and Francisco Zurbarán, embraced this idea, depicting the difficulties with a harsh and unsympathetic realism. In contrast, Murillo brings a gentle beauty to such scenes, using "Two Women at a Window" (1655/60) and "Four Figures on a Step" (1655/60) as primary examples, this essay seeks to explore the depth and compassion with which Murillo represents the people of Seville. Murillo's origins are humble. He was the youngest of fourteen children, the son of a surgeon named Gaspar Esteban. In Spanish tradition, Murillo wore the last ...... middle of paper ......é Esteban Murillo. Wikisource, the free library. Last updated October 17, 2010. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Bartolomé_Esteban_MurilloHaraszti-Takács, Marianna. Spanish genre painting in the 17th century. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1983.Íñiguez, Diego. Murillo. 2, Critical catalog. Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, 1981. Lubbock, Tom. “Murillo, Bartolomé Esteban: Two Women at a Window (c1655). » The Independent. July 21, 2006. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/murillo-bartolom-esteban-two-women-at-a-window-c1655-795371.html “Murillo: Biography and Works. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Museum. Accessed November 10, 2011. http://www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/ficha_artista/426Stratton, Suzanne L. and Jonathan Brown. Bartolome Esteban Murillo: paintings from American collections. Harry N. Abrams: New York, 2002.