Born in
La Font de la Figuera, he is thought to have studied his art for some time in Italy due to
Sebastiano del Piombo's influence, with which school his affinities are closest, but maybe he never went to Italy, and he received this influence by the Italian peintures arriving to
Valencia. Furthermore, two Italian painters
Paolo da San Leocadio and
Francesco Pagano, were engaged by
cardinal Rodrigo Borgia for painting in
Valencia Cathedral. Otherwise, the greater part of his professional life was spent in the city of
Valencia, where most of the extant examples of his work are now found. All relate to religious subjects, and are characterized by dignity of conception, accuracy of drawing, beauty of color, and minuteness of finish. He died at
Bocairent (near
Xàtiva) while working on an altarpiece in the church there. Since his surname Masip made him sound like a laborer (
macero), he was called
Juan de Juanes, so as not to be confused with his father, who was also a painter, and with a similar style. Thus, Masip adopted the
patronymic name of
Joan de Joanes. Il may also refer to a surname
Joanes and . Masip painted a Raphaelesque
Holy Family for the sacristy in the
Cathedral of Valencia. He never painted a
profane subject, and emulated
Luis de Vargas and
Fra Angelico, in never painting unless he had received
holy communion. Painting for him was a solemn exercise, an oratory process, full of prayers and fasts. He never lacked church patronage; the
archbishop of Valencia,
St. Thomas of Villanova, ordered a set of cartoon panels about the Life of the Virgin to model for some tapestries. He also painted for the churches of the
Jesuits,
Dominicans,
Minims,
Augustinians,
Franciscans, and for the churches of San Nicolás, Santa Cruz, Carmen Calzado, St Esteban, Corona, Temple, San Andrés, San Bartolomé and San Miguel de los Reyes. He died in
Bocairent. Among his best works is the
Immaculate Conception painted for the Jesuit church, supposedly inspired by a revelation undergone by the painter's confessor, Father Martin Alberto. Masip also painted portraits. , 1557, Zaragoza Museum ==References==