In the mid-nineteenth century Federico de Madrazo produced some of the most successful portraits of the Spanish bourgeoisie during the reign of Isabel II (1833-68), presenting them with the opulence that their social status demanded. In addition to his remarkable artistic ability, his female portraits are outstanding for their depiction of the accessories and adornments. These details are emphasis
Concepción Remisa de Moret was the wife of Segismundo Moret y Quintana, a famous nineteenth-century Spanish writer, politician and landowner whose portrait -also by Madrazo- is in the Prado Museum collection as well (P04466). The purity of lines and delicate rendering of this work reveal the influence that the French painter, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867), had on Federico de Mad
The sitter, a Monarchist writer, an excellent horsewoman and a friend of the artist, is seated in a fine armchair, her figure brightly lit in the shadowy room. This appealing portrait has a decidedly French air, and is clearly influenced by the work of Ingres; it is far removed from the austere restraint of Spanish tradition. Madrazo highlights the sitter’s youth -she was thirty-two at the time- a
This portrait of the wife of the banker Henry O’Shea reveals the British influence on Madrazo’s fully romantic period. Her social position is indicated by the quality of the fabrics, laces and jewels, and by the elegant arrangement of the hands. The books allude to the culture of this lady, who was a friend to the writer Washington Irving.
This young aristocrat, portrayed in three-quarter length, stands posed before the viewer wearing a magnificent black satin and velvet dress trimmed with lace and ribbons, a close-fitting bodice and a full, domed skirt. Her hair is smoothed and parted, with braids wound around her ears and gathered in the back, held in place with a large, bejewelled pin and lace frill. She wears, at her neckline, a
The numerous formal portraits painted by Federico over the course of his career -large-format works generally intended to hang in the capacious homes of Elizabethan aristocrats- include some of his most spectacular canvases. The present splendid work from the Museo del Prado dates from the artist’s fully mature period and is marked by a freer touch, a deep and rich use of paint and an attentively
Although Federico de Madrazo began working in the genre of historical painting, his gifts as an artist promptly led him to portraiture, which he cultivated in all its forms throughout his lengthy career and in which he conspicuously excelled. This portrait of Sofía Vela is one of the best from the artist´s romantic period and is a superb example of the intimate portrait. It was exhibited at
Madrazo interprets the elegance and refinement of the French painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres with a personality of his own, especially in the sitter’s pose. The handling of the textiles - notably the delicate rendering of the transparency of the lace - their colours, and the touches of the brush that accentuate the highlights make this a particularly significant work from his mature period.