Leyendas de un artista. A propósito del pintor quiteño Miguel de Santiago

Miguel de Santiago es el principal pintor de la escuela quiteña virreinal. Su fi gura es la que más ha interesado tanto a historiadores como a escritores ecuatorianos desde mitad del siglo XIX hasta la actualidad. Pero la mayoría de los escritos sobre este artista no se han atenido a los hechos reales, sino que se han basado en numerosas leyendas que han enmarañado la comprensión de su vida y de su actividad artística. Este artículo es un análisis crítico de dichas leyendas, comparándolas entre ellas y con las de otros artistas, y refutándolas con documentación inédita sobre el pintor, que ayuda a aclarar su verdadera naturaleza.Miguel de Santiago is the main painter of the colonial school of painting in Quito. His fi gure has interested as much to historians as to Ecuadorian writers from half of the 19TH C. until the present time. However, most of those writings about this artist have not been abided by the real facts; on the contrary, they have been based on numerous legends that have entangled the understanding of his life and artistic activities. This article is a critical analysis of these legends: they are all compared among each other and also among those of other artists. It also refutes them with unpublished documentation about the painter that helps to clarify his true nature