COELLO, CLAUDIO (c. 163o-1693), Spanish painter born at Madrid, son of a well-known worker in bronze of Portuguese origin. He studied under Francisco Rizi, and was dominated at first by an overcharged, exaggerated style, which was then begin ning to be admired in Madrid. He assisted his master in the exe cution of an altarpiece for S. Placido. He then studied and copied the works of Titian, Rubens and Van Dyck in the royal collec tions, to which he secured access through his friendship with the court painter D. Juan Carreno. He also profited by his friendship with Josef Donoso, who had studied seven years in Rome, and, with his co-operation, painted frescoes in some churches and pal aces of Madrid. In 1671 he decorated the ceiling of the vestry in Toledo cathedral. In 1683 he was commissioned by the archbishop of Saragossa to paint frescoes in the cupola and the transept of the Augustine church. On his return to Madrid he became court painter to King Charles II., and undertook the altarpiece for the sacristy in the Escorial representing the "Transfer of the Holy Eucharist." The scene is represented as taking place in the same room in which the picture is hung. It is a fine arrangement of space in the baroque style containing some so life-like portraits in cluding that of Charles II. and his prime minister. This work is his masterpiece. It is nearly allied to the realistic art of Velazquez and Carreno, and Coello here shows himself as a brilliant and strong colourist, a fine and careful draughtsman. He seems to have tried to stem the decadence, which was engulfing Spanish art. His work was universally admired, he was appointed Seneschal and his son received a pension of 30o ducats. Then Luca Giordano ar rived in 1692. The preference shown by the court to the Italian favourite, hurt Coello's sensitive nature. His last work was the "Martyrdom of St. Stephen," painted for the Dominican church at Salamanca. He died on April 2, 1693, at Madrid, and was buried in the church of San Andres. He was the last important master of the great Madrid school of the 17th century.
His works are to be seen in the churches of Madrid and other cities of Spain, at the Prado, in the galleries of Munich, Budapest and Frankfurt. "The Betrothal," presented to the National Gal lery, London, as by Velazquez, is perhaps an early work by Coello, who is also represented in the collections at Apsley house and Grosvenor house.
See A. de Beruete y Moret, The School of Madrid (1909).