Meléndez, Luis Eugenio (1716-1780)

Spanish painter. Court painter to Charles III of Spain, he painted portraits and religious subjects, but is best known for his still lifes, especially flower paintings.

He studied in Naples and Rome before returning to Spain to become court painter. His paintings of fruit and flowers, intended for the decoration of the royal palaces, returned to the sobriety and simplicity of the 17th century, and are in the tradition of Francisco de Zurbarán.