Esteban March


Esteban March was a Spanish Baroque painter. Most of what is known about his life comes from writings by Antonio Palomino, who lived slightly later.

Life and work

His works may be compared, stylistically, to those of Pedro Orrente, which suggests that he may have studied with him during Orrente's stay in Valencia. A depiction of Moses crossing the Red Sea, at the Museo del Prado, which incorporates numerous figures and detailed animals, appears to owe a special debt to Orrente's style.
Palomino indicates that he had a violent and extravagant temperament; based on anecdotes told by Juan Conchillos, one of his more prominent students. Some of this aggressive, nervous character is reflected in his battle paintings, which are his best known and most admired works. It is said that he had to work himself into a fury with martial music before beginning to paint. His interest in battlefields is also reflected in his paintings of Biblical scenes; notably two at the Museu de Belles Arts de València, which depict Joshua Stopping the Sun and the Triumph of David. There is also some indication that he was familiar with the works of Italian battle painters, such as Aniello Falcone, Salvator Rosa and Antonio Tempesta.
His religious works include a Last Supper in the communion chapel at the and a Calvary, in a private collection in Madrid. Again, his style owes much to Orrente.
His drawings are also significant. These include a self-portrait, a portrait of his son,, and several studies of hands and knees from the collection of.
Although Palomino gives his year of death as 1660, he is referred to as still being alive in writings by José García Hidalgo, who visited Valencia in 1662 and 1667 and probably met with him.