Pedro de Madrazo | |
|---|---|
 de Madrazo; photograph byJean Laurent | |
| Born | Pedro de Madrazo y Kuntz (1816-10-11)11 October 1816 |
| Died | 20 August 1898(1898-08-20) (aged 81) |
| Seati of theReal Academia Española | |
| In office 10 April 1881 – 20 August 1898 | |
| Preceded by | Antonio María Segovia |
| Succeeded by | Emilio Cotarelo [es] |
Pedro de Madrazo y Kuntz (11 October 1816,Rome - 20 August 1898,Madrid) was a Spanish painter, jurist, writer, translator and art critic.
He came from an illustrious family of artists. His father was the painterJosé de Madrazo y Agudo and his mother, Isabel Kuntz Valentini, was a daughter of the Polish painter,Tadeusz Kuntze. Two of his brothers,Federico de Madrazo andLuis de Madrazo were also painters. His sister, Carlota, married the editor of the journal,El Artista,Eugenio de Ochoa.[1]
He and his brother Federico were born in Rome, while their father was studying there on a grant from KingCharles IV. His primary education began in Madrid, at a seminary school operated by theJesuits. This was followed by legal studies inToledo and at theUniversity of Valladolid, where he graduated. In 1837, he and Federico traveled to Paris, then back to Rome. Shortly after, he married Manuela Rosales, daughter of the painter,Eduardo Rosales. They had three daughters and a son. During this time, he worked as an art teacher.
Later, he moved to Madrid. There, he, his brother Federico and future brother-in-law, Ochoa, created the magazine,El Artista [es], which played a major role in establishing theRomantic style in Spain. He also contributed to most of the cultural publications of the day; includingEl Renacimiento,El Español,El Iris,La Cruz andLa Ilustración Española y Americana. Later, he served as Editor ofEl Domingo [es], where he published verses in imitation of thePsalms and translations from the Bible.[1]
He combined his journalistic career with legal service; as an assistant and a prosecutor, in which capacity he worked for theSpanish Council of State in 1860. From 1870 to 1871 and again from 1875 to 1880, he was that body's Secretary General. In 1888, he was a Minister with the "Tribunal de lo Contencioso Administrativo". He retired from his legal activities in 1897.[1] Largely progressive in his youth, he became more conservative with age and, during theRestoration, belonged to theConservative Party ofAntonio Cánovas del Castillo.
In his role of art critic and historian, he promotedGothic art as the most representative style and introduced the concept of art as an historical heritage. He also chaired a commission on the preservation of provincial historical monuments and wrote the catalogues for theMuseo del Prado.
As a writer, he favoredlyric poetry with a religiously moral emphasis and, occasionally, some patriotism.[2] He also penned two theatrical pieces, a number ofCuadros de costumbres [es] and some travel pieces. His major translations includeCriminal Law and Political Economy, byPellegrino Rossi, theBook of Orators, byJoseph-Marie Timon-David[3] andHistory of the Consulate and Empire, byAdolphe Thiers.
In his later life, he became director of theMuseo de Arte Moderno and, in 1894, succeeded his brother Federico as director of theReal Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, of which he had been a member since 1851. He was also a member of theReal Academia Española and theReal Academia de la Historia, where he served as secretary. He held honorary memberships in several institutions outside Spain.[1]
