Pedro Antonio de Alarcon

Pedro Antonio de Alarcón , 1833-91, Spanish writer, politician, and diplomat. He wrote several novels, including El sombrero de tres picos (1874, tr. The Three-cornered Hat, 1891), on which Manuel de Falla based his popular ballet, and El capitán Veneno (1881, tr. Captain Venom, 1914). In these works Alarcón shows keen powers of observation and subtle humor.

Borgoña, Juan de (b ?Burgundy, ?c.1460/70; d ?Toledo, c.1536). Spanish painter of northern European origin (his name means ‘John of Burgundy’). He is first documented in 1495, in Toledo, where he became the leading painter of the day. His most important work is the fresco decoration (1509–11) of the chapter house of Toledo Cathedral; there are scenes from the life of the Virgin and the Passion of Christ, with a large Last Judgement on the entrance wall. It has been described as ‘the only great fresco ensemble of the Spanish Renaissance’ (George Kubler and Martin Soria, Art and Architecture in Spain and Portugal and their American Dominions: 1500–1800, 1959). The calm clarity of Borgoña's style shows the influence of Italian Renaissance art; in particular he seems to have been familiar with the work of Domenico Ghirlandaio, and he must have spent some time in Italy. He ran a large workshop and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish his work from that of his pupils and assistants, among whom were Antonio de Comontes (d 1565) and Pedro de Cisneros (d 1548).