The Dealer Who Made Impressionism Famous

Photograph of Paul Durand-Ruel in his gallery (photo taken by Dornac, circ. 1910, all images courtesy the National Gallery, London)

Impressionism is easily one of, if not the most, accessible and universally enjoyed art movements. Monet’s water lilies and Degas’s dancers are among many examples of the genre which have become world recognized to the point of cliché. With Paul Gauguin’s “Nafea Faa Ipoipo” (“When Will You Marry”) recently selling for a record $300m, Impressionism continues to dominate the art market. Yet what most of us do not know is that the movement’s fame was nearly never to be if it were not for one dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, who recognized the struggling Impressionists’ visual, and potentially monetary, value. This is the narrative drive of the National Gallery’s survey, Inventing Impressionism. More

STANLEY MOREL COSGROVE - STILL-LIFE WITH JOURNAL DES ARTS

STANLEY MOREL COSGROVE, R.C.A.

STILL-LIFE WITH JOURNAL DES ARTS

oil on board

signed and dated ‘46

23 ins x 32 ins; 58.4 cms x 81.3 cms 

In Still-Life with Journal des Arts, Cosgrove purposely deconstructs the unified image, intertwining his work with the still lifes of Paul Cézanne and George Braque. A grouping of fruit emerges from a bundle of green cloth and paper. Cosgrove’s is a world of simultaneous perspective: a geometric collage in paint where the fruit is flat and yet lush, earthly delights compliment the events of the art world, and folds and layers blossom into a riot of colour. More

LOUIS MUHLSTOCK - MONTREAL STREET SCENE

LOUIS MUHLSTOCK, R.C.A.

MONTREAL STREET SCENE

oil on canvas

32 ins x 26 ins; 81.3 cms x 66 cms 

Muhlstock was foremost among a coterie of Jewish artists who gave Montreal a lively and informed art scene starting in the 1930s and continuing into the 1960s. Along with Ernst Neumann, Rita Briansky, Sam Borenstein, and others, Muhlstock brought fresh ideas and original expression to urban Montreal. His work was acquired for the National Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. Muhlstock and his friends collected European and Quebec painters like Miro and Dallaire. Muhlstock’s work made its Toronto debut at the Picture Loan Society, where Borduas and Riopelle also first showed in Toronto. David Silcox asserts: “To my mind, these two cityscapes are where Muhlstock’s strength lies.” More

LOUIS MUHLSTOCK - WINTER AFTERNOON

LOUIS MUHLSTOCK, R.C.A.

WINTER AFTERNOON

oil on canvas

33 ins x 30 ins; 83.8 cms x 76.2 cms 

Muhlstock was foremost among a coterie of Jewish artists who gave Montreal a lively and informed art scene starting in the 1930s and continuing into the 1960s. Along with Ernst Neumann, Rita Briansky, Sam Borenstein, and others, Muhlstock brought fresh ideas and original expression to urban Montreal. His work was acquired for the National Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. Muhlstock and his friends collected European and Quebec painters like Miro and Dallaire. Muhlstock’s work made its Toronto debut at the Picture Loan Society, where Borduas and Riopelle also first showed in Toronto. David Silcox asserts: “To my mind, these two cityscapes are where Muhlstock’s strength lies.” More

Six Authors Withdraw from PEN Gala in Protest of ‘Charlie Hebdo’ Honor

A ‘Charlie Hebdo’ cover (photo by Mona Okiddo-Eberhardt/Flickr)

As AP and the Times point out, the present controversy over the gala reflects the broader debate that flamed up in the wake of the original attacks on the magazine’s offices. While much of the literary community expressed support for Charlie Hebdo, others called the mainstream glorification of the publication into question, pointing to its perceived racism. But many of the loudest participants in the ensuing discussion seemed fairly divorced from the French context — many weren’t French speakers, and some hadn’t even heard ofCharlie Hebdo prior to the tragedy, much less read it. My news and Twitter feeds were littered with takes that seemed to materialize out of nowhere: as soon as it was fashionable to have an opinion, opinions seemed to abound. More

MARC-AURÈLE FORTIN - PAYSAGE LAURENTIEN

MARC-AURÈLE FORTIN, A.R.C.A.

PAYSAGE LAURENTIEN

watercolour on board

signed; also signed and titled on the reverse

22 ins x 27.75 ins; 55.9 cms x 70.5 cms

Marc-Aurèle Fortin started to work with watercolour in the early 1920s. By virtue of the immediacy of the medium, his work changed drastically, setting the stage for dazzling landscapes that bordered the limits of reality. Describing his use of watercolour, Fortin said: “when you master it, it's like a morphine addiction. It's a tremendous mania.” La Cueillette, vivid and luminous, is an exquisite display of the painter's whimsical palette.

MARC-AURÈLE FORTIN, A.R.C.A. - LA CUEILLETTE

MARC-AURÈLE FORTIN, A.R.C.A.

LA CUEILLETTE

watercolour, laid down on card

signed

18.5 ins x 24 ins; 47 cms x 61 cms 

Marc-Aurèle Fortin started to work with watercolour in the early 1920s. By virtue of the immediacy of the medium, his work changed drastically, setting the stage for dazzling landscapes that bordered the limits of reality. Describing his use of watercolour, Fortin said: “when you master it, it's like a morphine addiction. It's a tremendous mania.” La Cueillette, vivid and luminous, is an exquisite display of the painter's whimsical palette.

Mel Ramos - Wonder Woman

Mel Ramos (b. 1935) - American Pop artist

Color lithograph on wove paper

USA, 1979

Signed in pencil lower right 'Mel Ramos'

Numbered in pencil lower left '129/250'

Printed by L.P. Geyser, with copyright ink stamp verso

Published by Atelier Dumas, New York, with blind stamp lower left

Full margins

Image dimensions: 19 x 17 ½ in. (48.3 x 44.5 cm.)

Sheet dimensions: 24 x 20 ½ in. (61 x 52.1 cm.)

Known for his provocative images that mix the idealized woman with imagery of popular culture, this lithograph by Mel Ramos depicts one of the most iconic fictional superheroes: Wonder Woman. Depicted here with voluptuous curves and with her hands behind her head in a departure from her signature hands-on-hips power pose, Ramos undercuts Wonder Woman's feminist ideals with tongue-in-cheek sexuality.

Executed in 1979, this color lithograph on wove paper is signed and numbered one hundred and twenty-nine from an edition of two hundred and fifty. Printed by L.P. Geyser and published by Atelier Dumas, with their ink and blind stamps, respectively, the work has full margins. The image measures 19 x 17 ½ inches. In overall good condition with no evidence of tears, toning, staining or repairs.

Mel Ramos (American, b. 1935)

Mel Ramos is an American Pop artist famous for his comic-book like images of naked, voluptuous females mixed the popular culture imagery. A prolific artist from his emergence in the 1960s onward, Ramos has often based his nudes on the female celebrities of the day, from Marilyn Monroe to Scarlett Johansson. His work appeared alongside Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997) and Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987) at a Pop Art show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1963. In 1965, he first developed his most notable works depicting nude pin-up girls alongside mass-marketed products. Ramos has exhibited internationally and been featured in numerous museums, including the Whitney and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He has also held teaching positions at California State University, Syracuse University, and the University of Wisconsin. More

12 Works by John C. Kacere - (23 June 1920 – 5 August 1999)

John C. Kacere (23 June 1920 – 5 August 1999) was an American artist. Originally an Abstract-Expressionist, Kacere adopted a photorealist style in 1963.  Nearly all of his photorealist paintings depict the midsection of the female body. He is considered one of the original photorealists, although he rejected the term.

Kacere painted his first photorealist painting in 1969 involving the midsection of a woman dressed in lingerie. It was over three times life size.^[3] Kacere continued this type of painting throughout the rest of his career, making it an icon of the photorealism movement. 

Artist: John Kacere, American (1920 - 1999)
Title: Maija II
Year: 1977
Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 200, 50 APs
Size: 22 in. x 28 in. (55.88 cm x 71.12 cm)

In the early 1980s, he branched away from this theme and included the entire body of a woman in lingerie, but returned to his original midsection of the female body in 1988.^[3] Kacere's paintings are figurative but still can be considered still lifes or even landscapes. More

His style has influenced several pop artists from Michael English to Philip Castle, and later Hajime Sorayama. But it’s worth to mention the predecessors who inspired his technique: in terms of lighting and texture you can see John Kacere adopted a mix between Tamara de Lempicka and Edward Hopper, and a debt of gratitude for the beautifully rendered drapery goes to Renaissance’s masters such as Titian and Fra Angelico. 

 His childish obsession is for an idealized object of desire that is not a woman but a synecdoche, a plump but empty kind of beauty, enhanced by the sexy paraphrenalia of her attire.

The faceless portion of these pin ups reminds us of a table set before a banquet. No matter how much pop art can gain from kitsch (Jeff koons knows it too well) John Kacere’s paintings are splendid and he fully deserves an Extraordinart place. More

Kacere, who died in 1999, earned a second shot at artistic immortality in 2003 when director Sofia Coppola based the iconic opening sequence of Lost In Translation (showing Scarlett Johansson‘s backside in sheer peach panties) on Kacere’s style. (The cotton crêpe briefs used in the shot were created by a youngAraks Yeramyan, and have become an enduring bestseller for the New York lingerie and womenswear brand Araks.) More

Kacere has focused his work in the female body, and despite criticism from feminists, some of whom have labeled his work sexist, Kacere sees the woman as the source of life and praises the aspect of womanhood in each of his works. More

"Louisa"
1989,  oil on canvas,  40 x 60 

Artist: John Kacere

Title: Purple Panties

Year: Circa 1969

Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed verso

Size: 60 x 66 inches [152.4 x 167.64 cm]

John Kacere: Nathalie

Technology:Photolithography

signed and numbered 48/200

Size:43.00 cm x 65.00 cm to 50.00 cm x 70.00 cm

John Kacere, American (1920 - 1999)
Title: Poodle Panties
Year: 1979
Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 300

John Kacere, "Le musée du Louvre"

52 Icons - Religious Art - Paintings from the Bible

Leiden - 1669 Amsterdam - school

The Great Deposition from the Cross

Style of REMBRANDT VAN RIJN

Oil on canvas. Relined. 172,5 x 118,5cm

Leiden - 1669 Amsterdam - school

The Great Deposition from the Cross

Style of REMBRANDT VAN RIJN

Oil on canvas. Relined. 172,5 x 118,5cm

Otto van Veen

Miles Christianus contra peccata mortalia pugnans coronam recipit.

(The dramatic battle of the Christian knight against the seven deadly sins and death itsel)

Oil on canvas. 159 x 116cm. 

Florence 1492 - after 1527 - attributed  to Andrea del Sarto

Madonna with Child Jesus, John and the St. Anthony of Padua. 

Oil on wood. 73 x 58,5cm

Albrecht Dürer 1471 - 1528

The Virgin and the Child

Copper engraving, watermark: Krüglein on 14,7 x 10,1 cm (measurement of the plate 14 x 9cm). Signed and dated in the plate: AD 1520.

Crowning of Mary

Oil/tempera on oak. Parqueted. 78 x 51cm. 

Circle of Bernard van Orley

THE VIRGIN AND CHILD

oil on panel

36.2 by 26.1 cm.; 14 1/4 by 10 1/4 in.

This is one of a number of versions of the composition, the finest of which is a picture formerly in the collection of Friedrich Glück, Budapest, considered by Baldass to be by Van Orley before 1520.1 A workshop version is in the Royal Collection (L. Campbell, The Early Flemish Pictures in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, Cambridge 1985, p. 105, no. 66, reproduced plate 78; inv. 1003). Van Orley’s original is in the Prince of Wied collection, Munic. More

Follower of Pieter Coecke van Aelst the Elder

ADORATION OF THE MAGI

oil on panel, shaped top

105.5 by 69.2 cm.; 41 3/8 by 27 1/4 in.

Most probably originally the central panel of a triptych. Bermejo's essay (see Literature) argues for the composition developing out of van Aelst's Adoration of the Magi, now in the Prado (inv. no. 2223), which is itself based on a picture by the artist's father-in-law Jan van Dornicke (circa 1470–1527), now in a private collection, Paris.1 The main differences to the aforementioned pictures are the bringing of all three Magi into the foreground; the direct contact between the kneeling Magi and the Christ child, and the representation of the Virgin without a veil. Bermejo suggests a date of 1533–35. More

Netherlandish School, circa 1515-1520

THE CRUCIFIXION

with possible monogram lower right: AVB

oil on linen, laid on to canvas

181.1 by 114.2 cm.; 71 1/4 by 45 in.

Antwerp School, early 16th century

SAINT VERONICA OFFERS A CLOTH TO CHRIST ON THE WAY TO CALVARY; DESCENT FROM THE CROSS

Quantity: 2

a pair, both oil on marouflaged oak panel, in integral frames

each: 72.5 by 32.1 cm.; 29 1/4 by 12 5/8 in.

More

Studio of Albrecht Bouts

LEUVEN 1452/5 - 1549

CHRIST CROWNED WITH THORNS

oil on oak panel, shaped top, unframed

32 by 22.5 cm.; 12 5/8 by 8 7/8 in.

The infrared image shows that the painter originally intended to depict Christ with hands clasped, after the lost prototype by Dirk Bouts known now from copies by Albrecht's workshop.1 But the hands were never painted in. The panel's shaped top is unusual amongst those many copies and was probably changed at a later stage to fit in a frame. More

Bartolo di Fredi

SIENA 1330 (?) - 1410

SAINT ANTHONY ABBOT

tempera on panel, gold ground, a fragment, unframed

38.5 by 33 cm.; 15 1/8 by 13 in.

More

Florentine School, mid 14th century

THE CRUCIFIXION, WITH CHRIST IN BENEDICTION IN THE SPANDREL ABOVE

tempera, oil and gold ground on oak panel, with a pointed top and engaged frame

48.8 by 24 cm.; 19 1/4 by 9 1/2 in.

Follower of Giovanni Battista Cima, called Cima da Conegliano

MARY MAGDALEN HOLDING A JAR OF OINTMENT

oil on panel

48.8 by 40.4 cm.; 19 1/4 by 15 7/8 in.

More

Follower of Giovanni Bellini

THE MADONNA AND CHILD, FLANKED BY SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

oil on panel

84.2 by 111.2 cm.; 33 1/8 by 43 3/4 in.

More

Follower of Tiziano Vecellio, called Titian

HEAD OF CHRIST

oil on canvas

36.8 by 29.5 cm.; 14 1/2 by 11 5/8 in

More

Manner of Marco Palmezzano

CHRIST CARRYING THE CROSS

Quantity: 2

oil on panel

32.3 by 24.4 cm.; 12 3/4  by 9 5/8  in.

More

Follower of Vincenzo Foppa

THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI

distemper and pastiglia on linen, in a contemporary carved gilt wood frame

194 by 179 cm.; 76 3/8 by 70 1/2 in.

More

Workshop of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

SEVILLE 1618 - 1682

THE VIRGIN AND CHILD WITH THE INFANT SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

oil on canvas, unframed

174.6 by 109 cm.; 68 3/4 by 42 7/8 in.

More

Florentine School, 17th Century

SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA

oil on canvas

108 by 90 cm.; 42 1/2 by 35 1/2 in.

More

Giovanni Lanfranco

PARMA 1582 - 1647 ROME

SAINT PRAXEDIS

oil on canvas

114.5 by 90.3 cm.; 45 by 35 1/2 in.

More

Niccolò Cassana
VENICE 1659 - 1714 LONDON
LOT AND HIS DAUGHTERS
signed centre right, on the urn: N: Cassana F.
oil on canvas, unframed
114.1 by 161.3 cm.; 44 7/8  by 63 1/2  in
More

Follower of Antiveduto Gramatica
HOLY FAMILY WITH THE INFANT SAINT JOHN
oil on canvas
105.4 by 130.8 cm.; 41 1/4  by 51 1/2  in.
More

Circle of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called Il Guercino
THE MADONNA AND CHILD
oil on panel, oval
58 by 41 cm.; 22 3/4  by 16 1/4  in.
More

Follower of Guido Reni
MADONNA AND CHILD WITH THE INFANT SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
oil on copper
28.4 by 21.2 cm.; 11 1/3  by 8 3/8  in.
More

Follower of Guido Reni
THE MADONNA SEWING
oil on copper
24.5 by 19.5 cm.; 9 5/8  by 7 5/8  in.
More

Matteo Rosselli
FLORENCE 1578 - 1650
THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL
oil on canvas
64.5 by 51.5 cm.;25 3/8  by 20 1/4  in.
More

Lombard School, circa 1700
SAINT ANDREW READING
oil on canvas, unframed
72.5 by 56.7 cm.; 28 1/2  by 22 1/4  in.
More

Giuseppe Vermiglio
ALESSANDRIA CIRCA 1585 - AFTER 1635
SAINT PAUL
oil on canvas, unframed
103 by 83 cm.; 40 1/2  by 32 3/4  in.
More

Giovanni Battista Langetti
GENOA 1635 - 1676 VENICE
JOSEPH INTERPRETS THE BAKER'S DREAMS IN PRISON
oil on canvas
124 by 172.8 cm.; 48 3/4  by 68 in.
More

Venetian School, circa 1700
THE TEMPTATION OF SAINT ANTHONY
oil on canvas
73.7 by 87.6 cm.; 29 by 34 1/2  in.
More

Follower of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
ST PETER DELIVERED BY AN ANGEL
oil on canvas
63.4 by 82.5 cm.; 25 by 32 1/2  in.
More

Francesco di Maria
NAPLES 1623 - 1690
THE LAMENTATION
oil on canvas
185 by 277 cm.; 72 3/4  by 109 in.
More

Giovan Battista Boncori
CAMOPLI CIRCA 1633 - ROMA 1699
THE REST ON THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
inscribed in an old hand on the reverse of the canvas: MOLA
and brushed with inventory number: A.H. 3
oil on canvas
72.5 by 60.5 cm.; 28 1/2  by 23 3/4  in.
More

Rafael Tejeo Diaz
CARAVACA DE LA CRUZ 1798 - 1856 MADRID
MADONNA AND CHILD
signed centre right: Tejeo
oil on canvas, unlined
88.9 by 77.5 cm.; 35 by 30 1/2  in.
More

Follower of Vittorio Amedeo Cignaroli
ELIEZER AND REBECCA AT THE WELL
oil on canvas
62.9 by 87.6 cm.; 24 3/4  by 34 1/2  in.
More

North Netherlandish School, first half of the 16th century
A TRIPTYCH: CENTRAL PANEL: THE CRUCIFIXION LEFT WING: THE DEPOSITION RIGHT WING: THE RESURRECTION
the frame bears date: 1517
oil on oak panel, the wings in integral frames
painted surface (central panel): 86.7 by 64 cm.; 34 1/8  by 25 1/4  in.
painted surface (wings): 83 by 26.5 cm.; 32 5/8  by 10 3/8  in.
overall (open): 130 by 154 cm.; 51 1/8  by 60 5/8  in.
overall (closed): 130 by 77 cm.; 51 1/8  by 30 1/4  in.
More

Workshop of Dieric Bouts
HAARLEM CIRCA 1420 - 1475 LEUVEN
MATER DOLOROSA
oil on panel
37.5 by 29.4 cm.; 14 3/4  by 11 1/2  in.
More

Workshop of Cornelis Engelbrechtsz.
LEIDEN 1460/65 - 1527
THE DEPOSITION
oil on oak panel
46.5 by 32 cm.; 18 1/4  by 12 5/8  in.
More

Follower of Rueland Frueauf the Elder
THE FLAGELLATION
oil on pine panel
109.9 by 87.2 cm.; 43 by 34 1/2  in.
More

Circle of Master of Delft
THE VIRGIN AND CHILD ENTHRONED
oil on panel
72.9 by 88.3 cm.; 28 5/8  by 34 3/4  in.

The composition may be based upon the Triptych with Virgin and Child with Saints by the Master of Delft, now in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. The style of the architectural background is very close to a series of panels showing female saints by the Master of Alkmaar. More

Workshop of Jacopo da Valenza

ACTIVE IN THE VENETO 1485 - 1509

THE VIRGIN AND CHILD

oil on panel

48.2 by 37.7 cm.; 19 by 14 7/8  in.

More

Circle of Domenico Beccafumi
MADONNA AND CHILD WITH SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA
oil on poplar panel, a tondo, unframed
diameter: 31.8 cm.; 12 1/2  in.
More

Italian School, 17th Century
THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS
oil on panel
42 by 57 cm.; 6 1/2  by 22 3/8  in.

After a well known design by Raphael. No painting of the composition exists, it was designed to exist only as a print and was engraved by Marcantonio.  This composition is thought to be the first of the engravings that Raphael and Marcantnio collaborated on. More

The Massacre of the Innocents is the biblical narrative of infanticide by Herod the Great, the Roman-appointed King of the Jews. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi. In typical Matthean style, it is understood as the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy: "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 'A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.'" The number of infants killed is not stated. The Holy Innocents have been claimed as martyrs for Christianity. More

After Leonardo da Vinci

THE LAST SUPPER

oil on copper, unframed

26.2 by 60.5 cm.; 10 1/4  by 23 3/4  in.

A copy, circa 1800, after Leonard da Vinci's Last Supper, now in the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. More

Venetian School, last quarter of the 15th century

MADONNA AND CHILD

oil on panel

50.3 by 37.8 cm.; 19 3/4  by 14 7/8  in.

51.5 by 39 cm.; 20 1/4  by 15 3/8  in. with extensions 

More

Follower of Sir Peter Paul Rubens
THE DECAPITATION OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
oil on oak panel
27.9 by 26.7 cm.; 11 by 10 1/2  in.
More

Guy François
LE PUY, HAUTE-LOIRE CIRCA 1578 - 1650 LE PUY
MADONNA AND CHILD
oil on canvas
84.5 by 59 cm.; 33 1/4  by 24 1/4  in.
More

Jacob Jordaens and Workshop
ANTWERP 1593 - 1678
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
oil on canvas
80.5 by 115.5 cm.; 31 3/4  by 45 1/2  in.
More

Studio of Francisco de Zurbarán
FUENTE DE CANTOS, BADAJOZ 1598 - 1664 MADRID
THE ENTOMBMENT OF SAINT CATHERINE ON MOUNT SINAI
oil on canvas
199.2 by 137 cm.; 78 1/2  by 53 7/8  in.
More

Claudio Coello
MADRID 1642 - 1693
SAINT JOHN OF GOD (1495- 1550) WITH AN ANGEL 
oil on canvas
104 by 83 cm.; 41 by 32 3/4  in.
More

John of God, O.H. (March 8, 1495 – March 8, 1550) (Spanish: Juan de Dios and Portuguese: João de Deus) was a Portuguese-born soldier turned health-care worker in Spain, whose followers later formed the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God, a worldwide Catholic religious institute dedicated to the care of the poor sick and those suffering from mental disorders. He has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church, and is considered one of Spain's leading religious figures. More

Juan Antonio de Frias y Escalante

CORDOBA 1630 - 1669 MADRID

SAINT PETER NOLASCO CARRIED TO THE ALTAR BY ANGELS

signed lower right: ESCALAN / TE FAt.

oil on canvas

108.8 by 82.9 cm.; 42 3/4  by 32 5/8  in.

More

Saint Peter Nolasco (1189 – 6 May 1256), is a Catholic saint, born at Mas-des-Saintes-Puelles, Languedoc, today's France.

He was in Barcelona when as a teenager, became part of an army fighting the Moors in the Iberian peninsula, and was appointed tutor to the young king, James I of Aragon. In 1218 he formed a congregation of men that became the Royal and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy of the Redemption of the Captives (the Mercedarians) with approval by Pope Gregory IX in 1230. More