CA'NO, ALONSO, n very celebrated Spanish painter, sculptor, and architect, wee born at Granada, iu March 1601. Ile was educated iu Seville, whither his father, an architect, had removed ; and he studied sculpture there, under J. Montanes, and painting under Pacheco and Juno do Castillo, all men of celebrity ; but Cane's true masters in design were some ancient statues in the Casa de Plinths, belonging to the Duke of Alcalh. Cano is called the Michel Angelo of Spain ; in some respects they were similar, but the similarity is more in the extent of their abilities than in the quality. Cane, as did also Michel Angelo, obtained his reputation first by sculpture. Ae early as 1630, he had earned such celebrity, that he was appointed painter to King Philip IV. of Spain, and had the superintendence of various architec tural works in the royal zodiacal of Madrid and in the city. After various adventures in the principal cities of the south of Spain, Cane died at Granada, in 1667, leaving a numerous school, but be had not a single scholar who approached him in ability. His works, which are conspicuous for vigour of design, richness of oolour, and boldness of execution, are very numerous ; there are many at Seville, Xeres, Cordova, Madrid, the Escurial, Toledo, Alma de Bettered, Cuenca, Avila, Valencia, Murcia, Malaga, and Granada, where, in the church of Sao Diego, a 'Conception of the Virgin' with angels is considered his masterpiece.
Cam) was of a singular disposition and of a violent temper, which ou more than one occasion placed him in great danger of the Inquisition. lie was accused of having assassinated his wife out of jealousy; but the charge rests solely upon the testimony of Palomino, who wroto many years after the event which gave rise to the rumour. Cean
Bermudez sought in vain for a record of any process against him. The story is, that at Madrid, in 1643, when be returned home one evening, be found his wife assassinated, his house robbed, and an Italian assistant who used to live with him had absconded; but notwith standing the presumptive evidence against the Italian, Cano was himself accused of the murder, and was put to the rack ; no confession however being elicited from Lim, he was released and absolved of the charge. Upon his plea of in arte,' his right arm bad been exempted from the torture. Another story is that in 1658, when he was in Granada, a councillor of that city commissioned him to make a small figure of Saint Antony of Padua. When finished, Cane asked 100 pistoles for it, and on the councillor complaining of the largeness of the sum, Cano dashed the saint to pieces on the pavement, to the consternation and horror of his employer, who made all haste out of the house of a man who could so unceremoniously demolish a saint. The act was in fact a capital offence; but it appears to have been unknown to the Inquisition. A similar destruction of an image of the Virgin caused the death of Torrigiano, who was convicted of heresy, and died io prison before his sentence was carried into effect. Cane is said also on his deathbed to have refused to take the crucifix presented to him by the priest, on account of its bad workmanship.
(Palomino, Musco Pictorico, d.c.; Cumberland, Anecdotes of eminent Painters in Spain ; Cean Bermudez, Diccionario Historic° &c.)