Mar. 23, 2010: Master of the Spanish Still Life at the MFA

>> Rooney: IT'S A SHOW MESMERIZING ENOUGH THAT EVEN VIEWERS WROTE IN EMEMPLOYERING US TO CHECK IT OUT.

SO WE DID.

JARED BROWN VISITS LUIS MELENDEZ.

>> REPORTER: AS HIS OWN SELFISH SELF-PORTRAIT AT TESTS, LUIS MELENDEZ HAD A CONFIDENT PROWESS EARLY IN HIS CAREER.

>> HE ALREADY HAS A DISTINCTION OF THE LIGHT LINEN OF THE SHIRT AND THE DARK VELVET COAT HE IS WEARING.

THE DRAWING WITH ITS CREASE, AND THE SHADOW CAST ON ITSELF BY THE ROW AND THE UNEVEN EDGE.

ALL OF THESE THINGS SHOW HE WAS ALREADY INCREDIBLY TENTATIVE TO THESE DETAILS.

>> REPORTER: MORE THAN 10 YEARS LATER, THAT SKILL SERVED MELENDEZ WELL.

NEARLY 30 OF HIS WORKS OF 100 ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE NEW MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS SHOW.

IT IS THE FIRST AMERICAN MELENDEZ SHOWCASE IN 10 YEARS.

>> THEY WERE AMONG THE FIRST MUSEUMS TO PURCHASE LUIS MELENDEZ'S PAINTINGS.

WE BOUGHT OURS IN 1939.

THE QUALITY OF THIS WORK WAS CERTAINLY -- UNDERSTOOD, IF NOT HIS NAME.

>> REPORTER: HE ASPIRED TO PAINT HISTORICAL AND BIBLICAL SUBJECTS.

MAKING HIM ONE-OF-A-KIND IN MADRID, SAYS THE CURATOR.

>> MELENDEZ CREATED A MARKET AND ENDED UP CORNERING THAT MARKET.

HE HAD AN INCREDIBLE EYE FOR THAT DETAIL, LIKE THAT HUGE CANTALOUPE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS GOING TO FALL INTO YOUR SPACE.

IT IS SO INCREDIBLY, BEAUTIFULLY MODELED THAT IT IS ALMOST A PORTRAIT OF THAT CANTALOUPE.

>> REPORTER: MELENDEZ'S SKILL IS MESMERIZING THROUGHOUT EACH CANVAS, TO A MOST MOIST FISH.

>> EVERY SINGLE GILL AND SCALE OF THE FISH HAS BEEN REPLICATED.

BUT WHAT IS ASTOUNDING IS THE WETNESS THAT COMES OFF OF THAT SURFACE.

THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'VE JUST BEEN CAUGHT.

ESPECIALLY IN COMPARISON TO THE PAINTING NEXT TO IT.

WHERE THE FISH IS REALLY DEAD.

>> EQUALLY ASTOUNDING IS MELENDEZ'S ABILITY TO CAPTURE THE PLAY OF LIGHT.

>> SOMETIMES ON THE BLACK BOTTLE, YOU'LL HAVE A LITTLE REFLECTION THAT IMPLIES THE ROOM IN WHICH HE IS PAINTING.

ON THE TALL-NECKED WINE BOTTLE IN THE CORKED WINE COOLER, YOU SEE VARIOUS KINDS OF REFLECTIONS ON THAT GLASS.

BUT HE CAN DO REFLECTION ON HAMMERED TIN OR HAMMERED COPPER.

>> REPORTER: DIPPED BELOW THE WORKS, MELENDEZ'S SKILL IS EVEN MORE APPARENT.

>> FIRST OF ALL, HE WAS A SCAVENGER OF CANVASSES.

HE WOULD TAKE CANVASSES THAT WERE ALREADY PAINTED ON AND PAINT OVER THESE ALREADY EXTENT COMPOSITIONS.

WHICH IS ASTOUNDING.

HOW CAN YOU PAINT A STILL LIFE WHEN YOU HAVE SOME IMAGE ALREADY ON THE SURFACE.

>> REPORTER: IT IS A QUESTION THAT REMAINED OBSCURE UNTIL LAST CENTURY WHEN LONG AFTER HE DIED A PAUPER, HIS STILL LIFE ONCE AGAIN MOVED COLLECTORS.

>> Rooney: JARED BROWN IS HERE, AND THIS STILL IS ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE.

YOU CAN SMELL THE FRUIT COMING OFF THE CANVAS.

>> THIS IS WHERE YOU GO THERE AND YOU CAN'T JUST DO A RUN BY.

EACH ONE IS MESMERIZING ON ITSELF.

I COULDN'T GET OVER THE LITTLE NICHES IN WOOD.

HE WAS INCREDIBLY DETAIL-ORIENTED.

THEY DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT HOW HE PAINTED, BUT THROUGH THE X-RAYS THEY KNOW SOME THINGS.

HE HAD THIS TERRIFIC SKILL SO EARLY ON, AS WE SAW IN THIS SELF-PORTRAIT, AND HE HAD THAT SKILL BASICALLY FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

HE NEVER REALLY EVOLVED.

HE CAME TO THE TABLE WITH THAT.

HE PAINTED THE FOREGROUND FIRST BEFORE PAINTING THE BACKGROUND.

HE HAD A VERY DISTINCT WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS.

>> Rooney: IT IS SO INTERESTING THAT HE BROKE OUT.

BECAUSE THIS IS A PERIOD WHEN MOST PAINTERS OF HIS GENRE POINTED NOBELITY BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WAS POPULAR IN 16TH, 17TH CENTURY SPAIN AT THAT TIME.

>> HE CERTAINLY TRIED.

HE TRIED MANY TIMES TO GET COMMISSIONS FROM THE COURT.

FINALLY WHEN HE CORNERED THE MARKET BY DOING STILL LIFES, THAT'S WHEN HE GOT THE COMMISSION FROM THE COURT.

HIS FATHER WAS A PAINT INSTRUCTOR AS WELL, BUT HAD IRRITATED THE ADMINISTRATION AT THE SCHOOL HE WAS ATTENDING, SO THEY BOTH GOT CAST OFF.

SO HE BASICALLY HAD TO DEAL WITH THE PATH THAT HIS FATHER SET HIM UP ON.

IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT DESPITE THE SKILL, HE STILL ENDED THE WAY HE DID, WHICH IS DECLARING HIMSELF A PAUPER.

>> Rooney: HE DIED A PAUPER, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW HE BASICALLY ATTAINED STARDOM.

>> I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THAT SELF-PORTRAIT, YOU SEE THIS SELF-CONFIDENCE IN THERE.

IT IS REALLY REMARKABLE THE WAY HE PRESENTS HIMSELF.

>> Rooney: HOW MANY OF THESE PIECES BELONG TO THE M.F.A.?

>> TWO OF THE PIECES OF TRACY CARY'S.

>> Rooney: REALLY?

>> YEAH, TWO OF THEM ARE HERS.

A LOT OF THEM CAME FROM SPAIN.

THE PRADA LENT THEM, WHICH IS REALLY RARE.

IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS SHOW.

IT HAS BEEN 25 YEARS WHERE YOU CAN SEE THIS WHOLE COLLECTION TOGETHER.

>> Rooney: JARED BROWN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

A REMINDER TO TUNE INTO 89.7 FOR MY RADIO SHOW, AT NOON, AND CALLIE CROSSLEY AT 1:00.

THAT AND MORE TOMORROW AT 7:00.

I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT.