Monumental Views of Spanish Cities. The Romantic Painter Genaro Pérez Villaamil
Museo Nacional del Prado. Madrid 12/17/2014 - 9/6/2015
This previously unpublished group of works produced between 1835 and 1839 comprises 42 views painted on tin plates and assembled by the artist as a diptych with each side terminating in simple, pointed arches supported on columns, resulting in a unique work within the context of Spanish Romanticism.The views are remarkable examples of Villaamil’s use of oil when painting outdoors from life, as he normally only used this medium in his studio. They reveal his ability to depict interiors and exteriors of buildings, some of which are already in ruins and would soon disappear. These views also demonstrate his skill in working directly in oil and brush on tin plate, applying superimposed layers of very dilute pigment, than adding final touches to create highlights on the complex ornamental details of the Mudéjar and Gothic buildings, which are the two prevailing architectural styles in these scenes.The views in the Diptych anticipate Villaamil’s subsequent focus on the depiction of historic buildings and monuments, which led him to become artistic director of La España artística y monumental (1842-1850), a publishing project for which he supplied drawings and watercolours for reproduction as lithographs. The compositions and viewpoints of those works are closely related to some of the present views, as the lithographs on display reveal.
- Curator:
- Javier Barón, Chief Curator of the Department of the 19th Century Painting, Museo Nacional del Prado.