Guillermo Larrazábal

Guillermo Larrazábal
Reproduction of a self-portrait of the artist made between 1970 and 1980
Born	February 10, 1907 Mexico City, Mexico
Died	July 29/30, 1983 (76 years old) Cuenca, Ecuador
Nationality	Spanish

Guillermo Larrazábal Arzubide (1907-1983) was a Spanish stained glass artist who was active in Ecuador. He is considered Ecuador's most important stained glass artist.

Larrazábal was born in Mexico City on February 10, 1907, while his mother was traveling there. His parents, Juan Domingo Larrazábal Basarrate and Daniela Arzubide Villa, were both from Bilbao, Spain; his father was a businessman who dealt in cacao and coffee. Larrazábal grew up in a grand residence in Bilbao, where he was the youngest of nine children. When he was five, he contracted meningitis and was seriously ill; after he recovered, he was mute for some time. During primary school, he would lock himself in his room to practice speaking in front of a mirror, and he overcame his muteness after many hours of practice. (He continued to speak with a slight stutter, however, for some time.) Larrazábal's father died in 1916. Larrazábal's difficult childhood and very religious mother transformed him into an intensely religious child.

Larrazábal switched between several schools as a child, including a school for accounting. He disliked rigid instruction, and felt disoriented by mathematics. He was only happy when drawing and painting, where his talents lay. Adrian Martinez, one of Larrazábal's teachers, recognized and championed Larrazábal's talents. He requested that Larrazábal be allowed to study solely art and recommended Larrazábal to several art academies. Meanwhile, however, the Larrazábal family business was failing. After bad business deals and the Black Tuesday stock market crash, the business declared bankruptcy in 1929. Larrazábal became depressed for some time; his cousin Ricardo Iturria aided in his recovery.

In 1932, thanks to a recommendation from Martinez, Larrazábal joined the studio of Luis Lerchundi, an artist based in Bilbao. There be worked under painter Félix Cañada, who was known for his art nouveau works, particularly in Bilbao's Café Iruña. Larrazábal quickly advanced within the studio and soon began learning the techniques of stained glass. Seeking to continue his education, he won a scholarship in 1936 to study in France, but he was unable to travel due to border closures during the Spanish Civil War. Instead, he spent his time traveling between Spanish cities and studying works of art in their museums. He ultimately returned to Bilbao out of concern for his family.