Cristóvão Lopes

Who was Cristóvão Lopes?

Cristóvão Lopes was a Portuguese painter.

Cristóvão Lopes was the son and disciple of royal painter Gregório Lopes, who died in 1550. Cristóvão succeeded his father as the royal painter of King John III in 1551. Since no works are known by him before the death of his father, it is assumed that up to this time Cristóvão worked in his father's workshop.

Few paintings are certainly by his hand, since he did not sign his works. Cristóvão Lopes' painting style suggest that he may have worked with Dutch portrait painter Antonis Mor who had come to Portugal in the 1550s to paint the royal family.

Cristóvão Lopes is the painter of an altarpiece for the Convent of Madre de Deus in Lisbon, in the high choir of the church, which carry portraits of the royal couple, John III and his wife Catherine of Austria. Other royal portraits attributed to him are now on display in the National Museum of Ancient Art, in Lisbon. He is also the painter of an allegory of Mercy for the Misericórdia Church in Sesimbra.