Antonio Cánovas del Castillo y Vallejo

He was born in Madrid on December 22, 1862. His uncle was the prominent 19th-century Spanish politician Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, with whom he shared his name. He was the eldest of five siblings born to Adelaida Vallejo and Emilio Cánovas del Castillo. Proud of his work, he strongly defended photography as an art form equal to painting, asserting that both “delight and stir the soul.”

In addition to his dedication to photography, he studied arts and letters. He earned a degree in Law and trained with the painter Carlos de Haes, signing his paintings under the pseudonym “Vascano,” as in “Una noche en el mar” (P007628) from 1888. He also published literary works such as “Javier Malo”, “El Mosén”, “Mocedades”, and “Apuntes para un diccionario de pintores malagueños del siglo XIX.”

He began his professional career as a photographer in 1899 by entering a competition organized by La Ilustración Española y Americana, a magazine dedicated to photography and engraving. There he debuted with “Los esparteros”, and the following year several of his photographs were exhibited at the Paris Universal Exposition. In 1901, he received an honorary award in the “overall work” category at the first photography competition organized by the Madrid Photographic Society. Among his works from this period are “Museo del Prado, vista de la fachada oeste o de Velázquez” (HF05055) and “Museo del Prado, vista de la estatua Velázquez” (HF05066).

In 1904, he established his own studio, Galería Kaulak, at No. 4 Calle Alcalá. He sometimes signed his works under the alias “Dalton Kaulak.” There, he photographed the Spanish aristocracy and royalty, employing the most modern photographic equipment of the time for both studio and outdoor sessions, an innovation he proudly advertised. That same year, he participated in the 1904 National Exhibition of Fine Arts with “Baño de sol.”

He served as the editor of “La Fotografía” during its entire run from 1901 to 1913. Prior to that, he had gained experience publishing photographs and written pieces in publications such as “La Época” of Madrid and serving as editor of “La Correspondencia de España Ilustrada”. His magazine allowed him to showcase his own work and to stay informed about the materials submitted to photographic competitions. Thanks to its records, we know he participated in a 1905 exhibition in Nice with works including “Efecto de polvareda”, “Sol de la Mancha”, “Luz de Sevilla”, “El patio andaluz”, “Camino de Álora”, and “Patio en Castilla.”

Also in 1905, he held an exhibition at his studio featuring portraits of women and prominent political figures of the time, including writer Benito Pérez Galdós, scientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal, and politicians Antonio Maura and Eduardo Dato, an event that was widely celebrated in Madrid.

On January 28, 1906, he delivered a lecture titled “Transformaciones de la fotografía” at the Ateneo of Madrid, in which he shared insights gained from his photographic studies and travels abroad. In 1914, he published the manual “La fotografía moderna,” which he sold at his studio. He participated in the 6th Fine Arts Exhibition and the 9th Annual Photography Competition organized by the Royal Cordoban Society of Archaeology and Excursions, where he received an honorary diploma awarded by the magazine Andalucía. In 1918, he was decorated with the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic.

In 1926, he married his cousin María Cánovas del Castillo y Tejada, who was 44 years his junior. The couple had two children.

In 1930, a sudden fire destroyed his studio, which also served as his residence at the time. He passed away three years later, on September 15, 1933.