Early Life, Family and Training The story of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo begins in the heart of Seville, where he was born in late December 1617. He was baptized on 1 January 1618, entering a world that would soon demand much of him. His father, Gaspar Esteban, worked as a barber surgeon, and his mother was María Pérez Murillo. Life for the young boy was marked by early loss, as he was orphaned during his childhood. Following the deaths of his parents, he was taken in by his sister, Ana, and her husband, Juan Agustín Lagares. His stepfather was also a barber, and it was within this family circ…