Juan Ximenes de Fernandez Navarrete

This painting is Juan Ximenes de Fernandez Navarrete, a Deaf Spanish artist, 1526–1579, nicknamed “El Mudo.” He was born in Navarre, Spain. He studied drawing and painting at a monastery in Venice, Italy. He was influenced by the two painters – Titian and Andrea del Sarto. In 1568, Navarrete was selected to become the official court painter to monarch Philip II of Spain. He spent his career painting thirty-two altars. Monarch Philip never valued Navarrete his brilliant work where he was commissioned to paint a Last Supper. Monarch Philip insisted to mutilate his great masterpiece by cutting off part of his painting, so it would fit into the church. Navarrete begged the Monarch to allow him to paint a smaller version. But he was cruelly stubborn and selfish. He got the masterpiece cut and forever changed. Navarrete became distressed. The Last Supper painting took seven years to paint. Monarch Philip never appreciated Navarrete and always looked up at the other Italian artists. Navarrete was a prolific artist and many of his paintings were lost and destroyed. There are few paintings left and very rare