Books and writing in Murillo’s painting

Abstract

This article addresses the world of books in the pictorial works of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Firstly, it focuses on studying the formal representation of books depicted in the paintings of the Sevillian artist, analyzing their binding, closures, format, cuts, inscriptions, and other relevant aspects. Secondly, it examines all the elements present in these paintings from which we can obtain information related to the reading and writing practices characteristic of the 17th century. The aim is to demonstrate how pictorial works offer us insights into various aspects of books and written culture, often going beyond what meets the eye.