Toward the end of the 17th century, Saint Francis’s iconography expanded as many of the classical biographic themes were replaced with more complex episodes -especially trance visions- mystical ecstasies that reflected the new Baroque esthetic and offered, in the case of Saint Francis, a new approach to the depiction of a figure whose life was being presented by his Order in terms of biographical
Several portraits of Ferdinand VII are attributed to Goya, though only a few have sufficient quality to be considered fully his own work. Furthermore, there is no accurate documentation of the portraits of a monarch who chose Vicente López to be the official portraitist over Goya. It is, however, clearly documented that Goya, as first court painter, did an equestrian portrait that was one o
This religious scene with its life-size figures, is treated in the sober manner usually applied to scenes from Roman history. It was the first major painting produced by Madrazo whilst training in Paris under Jacques-Louis David, and earned him an increase in his grant from Charles IV, enabling him to continue his studies in Rome.
Joaquina Téllez-Girón (1784-1851) married José de Silva Bazán, the future Marquis of Santa Cruz, in 1801. Goya had painted her as a child in the family portrait and alone, at the height of her beauty and as a muse, in 1805. However, Esteve’s less brilliant technique fails to render the subtle transparencies of her gauze dress with the same accomplishment as his master.
This preparatory sketch for the large-scale canvas painted by Madrazo in Rome (also on display in this room) reveals various differences with respect to the final composition. Madrazo gave more space to the tent in the upper part of the sketch, which he subsequently reduced. There are also differences in the figures and in the landscape with the camp on the far right, which he enlarged.
A member of a dynasty of artists that began with his grandfather, the sculptor Pablo González Velázquez (1664-1727), Zacarías González Velázquez initially trained with his father, the painter Antonio González Velázquez (1723-94). In 1777, he joined the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, an institution to which he remained tied for the rest
Painted in Florence, this canvas depicts Prince Luis I of Parma (1773-1803), who had died the previous year, and his wife, the Infanta María Luisa (1782-1824), daughter of Charles IV of Spain and María Luisa of Parma. Also included are their children, Carlo Ludovico (1799-1883), heir to the throne, and María Luisa Carlota (1802-1857), future wife of Maximilian, Prince of Saxon
The lively, somewhat childish character of Cayetana, the Duchess of Alba, is reflected in this little canvas. Her back is turned to the viewer, but she is recognizable by her abundantly curly black hair. She plays at frightening her duenna, Rafaela Luisa Velázquez, known as “la Beata” (“the Sanctimonious”). The Duchess shows the old woman a coral charm of the sort designed to ward off the e
This Self-Portrait’s small size indicates that it was intended for private and intimate use, as a gift to someone of interest to Goya. It came from the heirs of Tomás de Berganza, a butler to the Duke and Duchess of Alba who continued in the Duchess’s service after the Duke’s death. This provenance fueled a mid-19th-century romantic legend about Goya’s involvement with the Duchess, as the w
A pupil of Jacques-Louis David in Paris, Schick executed this work during his time in David’s studio. The figure is painted from life using a model who also appears in some of the life studies by J.-A.-D. Ingres, a fellow pupil of Schick. It reflects the influence of the classicising Italian Baroque, particularly Guido Reni, albeit interpreted with a sensuality typical of German art of this period
The son of actors, Isidoro Máiquez was born in Cartagena in 1768. Supported by the Duke and Duchess of Osuna, he studied in Paris with the celebrated thespian Francisco José Talma (1763-1826), introducing his teacher’s innovations onto the Spanish stage. He enjoyed immediate success with Shakespeare’s Othello in 1802 and became the director of the Teatro del Príncipe. The tech
This is a family portrait of María Luisa Josefa de Borbón (1782-1824) and her children, Carlos Luis and María Luisa Carlota de Borbón-Parma, painted during the time that María Luisa was regent of Etruria following the death of her husband, Louis I. The inclusion in this portrait of symbols such as the throne, canopy, red footstool, crown and column all identify t
Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos was one of the most illustrious representatives of the Spanish Enlightenment, a man of letters, writer and poet, as well as a statesman with advanced ideas. Born in Gijón in 1744, he received his Doctorate in Law from the University of Salamanca. He was interested in art and admired Goya from early on, having commissioned him to paint his portrait shortly after
Representation of San Marcos and San Lucas, which, subject and size , it must be part of an altarpiece predella. Along with San Mateo y san Juan Evangelista (P-1065), they depict the four Evangelists as two pairs, engaged in the writing of their Gospels and located before atmospheric landscapes. Ribalta deployed a detailed, delicate brushstroke characteristic of a miniature painter and indicative
During his visit to Valencia in 1802, the Literary University of the city gave the King this painting which shows the university, personified as a young matron, introducing the royal family to the various faculties: Theology, Law, Philosophy and Medicine. They are accompanied by the goddess Minerva, who points to Peace, Victory and Abundance, who fly over this symbolic reception.
Se representa a Carlo Ludovico de Borbón-Parma, también llamado Carlos II de Parma (1799-1883). Era nieto del rey Carlos IV de España y de María Luisa de Parma. Fue príncipe (1801) y luego rey de Etruria (1803-1807) bajo la regencia de su madre, María Luisa de Borbón (1782-1824). Fue duque de Lucca (1824) a la muerte de esta y duque de Parma (1847-1883) con el nombre de Carlo II. Sobre el uniforme
The hero of Republican Rome, Lucius Quinctius Cinncinatus had abandoned public life and retired to farm work. This painting depicts the moment when various representatives of the Senate offer to name him dictator. Ribera chooses the exact moment when the senators hand the purple robes, symbolizing power, to Cincinnatus, who has just stopped plowing. The correct drawing and perfect modeling of the
The provenance of this canvas (Bornos Collection) and the recent appearance on the antiques market of a full-length portrait of Valentín Bellvís de Moncada in sentry uniform (Fernando Durán, 26/07/2017, misidentified as the 4th Duke of Osuna), also by Esteve and from the same collection, allows for the identification of the young woman portrayed standing as Mercedes de Rojas y