19th century Spanish

Born to a family of humble origin, Fortuny began studying art in Reus under the painter Domènec Soberano (1825-1909). Orphaned at the age of six, he later moved with his grandfather to Barcelona in 1850. There he enrolled at the School of Fine Arts where he studied under Claudio Lorenzale (1815-1889) and Pablo Milá (1810-1883), among other teachers.

A scholarship in 1857 from the local Diputación Provincial (Provincial Council) allowed Fortuny to further his studies in Rome, at Accademia Chigi. Later, thanks to the influence of Manuel Durán Bas, a Liberal member of the Diputación Provincial, he was commissioned to travel to Morocco to take sketches with a view to creating a suite of paintings based on the theme of the Spanish-Moroccan conflict. The light and people of Morocco made such a strong impression of him that it marked the beginning of a life-long connection with Africa.

This Catalan master also learned from Spain’s great painters like El Greco, Ribera, Velázquez and Goya, whose works he had a chance to see and copy at the Prado. During his time in Madrid, he met a fellow-painter, Federico de Madrazo (1815-1894), in those days the director of the Prado Museum, through whom he would meet his future wife, Cecilia, Madrazo’s daughter. Their son, Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo (1871-1949), would also become a versatile artist and designer, carrying on the artistic legacy of both families.

In Paris he was captivated by the work of Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) and became acquainted with the main concerns in international art at the time. He also travelled to Florence, where he got in touch with the plein air work of the Macchiaioli movement. In 1870 he moved to Granada where he depicted places like La Alhambra, evoking the grandeur of its Al Andalus past.

From the influence of Nazarene painting in his youth, his style quickly evolved towards a painting underwritten by a refined language and exquisite colouring, with a particular mention for his Orientalist and Historicist works. Fortuny’s creative talent was patent in his different facets as a painter, aquarellist and engraver. He also became a dedicated collector of antiques, which he would use to decorate the compositions of his paintings.

Mariano Fortuny y Marsal reached fame while still alive, partly thanks to his relationship with the art dealer Adolphe Goupil which started in 1868. In fact he went to become one of the most internationally acclaimed Spanish artists of his time. Works by Fortuny are in major collections and museums, including the Museo Nacional del Prado, Museo Nacional d´Art de Catalunya and the Fortuny Museum in Venice.