The eldest son of King Juan II of Aragon and Queen Blanca of Navarre, Carlos de Viana was heir to both thrones, yet his father disowned him in favor of his other son, Fernando “The Catholic.” Because of his growing popularity in Catalonia, Fernando forced him to abandon public life, and that is the moment Moreno Carbonero immortalizes in this work. A resigned Carlos dedicates himself to reading an
Double portraits of this type, which were common in the mid-nineteenth century, were generally painted when the son or daughter was presented in society. The mother, depicted as seated, represented an example to the daughter, normally shown standing. In this case the richly furnished room and the sitter`s clothes and jewels indicate the wealthy status of this well-known family of bankers.
In 1814, Goya addressed the reagent, Cardinal Luis de Bourbon, offering to make works commemorating events from the War of Independence (1808-1812): "to perpetuate, with a paintbrush, the most notable and heroic actions or scenes of our glorious uprising against the tyrant of Europe". The present work depicts the popular riot of 2 May, 1808, when the people of Madrid attacked the Mamelukes —Turkis
A depiction of the execution of patriots from Madrid by a firing squad from Napoleon´s army in reprisal for their uprising against the French occupation on the second of May, 1808. The French soldiers are at the right of the composition, with their backs to the viewer. They aim their rifles at the Madrilenes who are to die. The scene´s drama and tension are emphasized by the use of light, which st
Lucifer was one of God´s favorite angels. He was expulsed from Heaven when he rebelled against His power. To represent the subject, Esquivel chose the moment when, with a stern expression, Saint Michael separates him from Celestial Glory. The subject is comparable to Saint Michael´s fight with the dragon of sin, which was frequently depicted by innumerable artists. Nevertheless, Esquivel eschews t
Célebre por sus escenas de género inspiradas en las obras de Teniers y de Wouwerman que pudo ver en el Museo del Prado, Alenza está considerado como el gran narrador de las costumbres de las clases más pobres y marginadas de la sociedad de Madrid, que retrata con un sentido crítico cercano a Goya. A pesar de su reducido tamaño, esta obra ejemplifica magníficamente ese tipo de pintura dentro de la
El retrato de Nicolás de Azara, de Anton Rafael Mengs, que conservaban aún los herederos del retratado, es una de las obras más singulares del artista bohemio desde el punto de vista artístico e histórico. La relación de Azara con Mengs se inició probablemente en 1765, ya que al erudito se debió en ese año la iniciativa de la medalla conmemorativa del casamiento de los príncipes de Asturias, con d
Avrial trained with Fernando Brambilla in the Italian tradition of the classicising veduta. His urban views include clear, accurate descriptions of buildings and monuments rendered with a precise and meticulous line. In contrast, the picturesque figures and pronounced contrasts of light and shade bring his work close to Romanticism.
With this canvas painted in Paris, Casado del Alisal reached his own understanding of Velázquez, bringing a new realism to Spanish history painting. But here, rather than reflecting history painters’ traditional fascination with Spain’s glorious past -especially the reign of the Catholic Monarchs and the splendors of the empire- Casado turns his eye to a much more recent case, evoking one o
This portrait reveals the artist`s assimilation of French models, particularly those of his master, Paul Delaroche (1797-1856), who frequently used an oval format and low viewpoint in order to emphasise the monumentality of the figures. The dark tones of the mother`s dress create a harmonious contrast with the child`s skin tones and the highlights on the meticulously painted curtains and upholster
This work and its dedication reflect the friendship between the French artist Carolus-Duran and Matías Moreno (1840-1906), which arose during their time as copyists in the Museo del Prado and continued when both artists spent time in Toledo. Carolus-Duran’s appreciation and study of Velázquez influenced the subsequent development of his work, which enjoyed enormous international succ
Ligozzi painted numerous allegories on death and the vices, using a macabre and morbid language that included skeletons and hourglasses. In works of this type the artist employed his imagination and profound knowledge of nature to express a deeply-felt and personal religiosity, evident in details such as the serpent, the butterfly wings and the personification of Sin.
En 1840, José de Madrazo era ya una de las personalidades más relevantes de la vida cultural de la primera mitad del siglo XIX. Ostentaba simultáneamente, a sus cincuenta y nueve años, los cargos de presidente de la Sección de Pintura del Liceo Artístico y Literario de Madrid, director de Pintura de la Academia de San Fernando, director del Real Museo, secretario de la reina gobernadora, académico
A much beloved pupil of Antonio Muñoz Degraín, Flora López Castrillo constitutes an exception among the Spanish women painters of her time owing to her professional specialisation in landscapes and marines. This work, which clearly shows the influence of her teacher, is inspired by some lines from the poem La Galatea, which was included in a Renaissance pastoral novel by Gaspa
Retratado a sus 54 años, de busto y ante un fondo neutro, viste con indumentaria doméstica, sujeta su corbata con un alfiler y aparece cubierto por un grueso gabán. De gesto enérgico y temperamental, su escaso cabello, de incipientes canas en las sienes, le deja despejada la frente, luciendo poblado bigote y mosca. Mira al espectador con la boca apretada y el ceño ligeramente fruncido.Nacido en Ca
In this work, Fortuny establishes an eloquent link between painting and music and a clear exposition of what his friend, the Baron Davillier, called his very lively and very pure taste in music. Fortuny depicts one of the musical evenings that he attended in Madrid during the summer of 1866 at his friend and former classmate, Catalan painter Francisco Sans y Cabot’s studio at no. 13, calle Flor Ba
Leonardo Alenza y Nieto was, without doubt, the painter par excellence of romantic costumbrismo from Madrid. (Costumbrismo refers to nineteenth-century genre scenes representing folkloric subjects and local customs.) Alenza is traditionally considered a follower of Goya for the application of his sharp, honest skills of observation to the least favoured social classes in the Spain of his era, at t
An unidentified lady wearing delicate transparent clothing and a yellow jacket with black decorations lies on a green velvet divan with cushions and a spread. There has been a great variety of opinions as to who the sitter is, but her anonymity is maintained in all of the inventories listing this work. Legend would have it that she was the Duchess of Alba, although she has also been identified as