Antonio Carnicero facts for kids
Antonio Carnicero (1748–1814) was a talented Spanish artist. He was known for his paintings in the Neoclassical style, which focused on clear lines and calm scenes, often inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art. Besides painting, he also created prints, engravings, and even designed decorations for plays.
Early Life and Art School
Antonio Carnicero was born in Salamanca, Spain, on January 10, 1748. His father, Alejandro Carnicero, was a sculptor who moved to Madrid to work on sculptures for the royal palace. Antonio had two brothers, Gregorio and Isidro, who were also artists.
Antonio first learned art from his father. When he was just 10 years old, in 1758, he joined the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. At age 12, he received a special scholarship. This allowed him to travel to Rome with his brother Isidro to study painting even more. In 1766, he returned to Madrid. There, he began painting for churches, public buildings, and private people.
Growing as an Artist
In 1775, Antonio Carnicero helped another artist, Joseph del Castillo. They worked together to create designs for tapestries (woven pictures) for the royal family. He also designed sets and decorations for plays at two famous theaters in Madrid.
From 1780 to 1782, Carnicero made illustrations for a special book project. The Royal Spanish Academy was preparing a fancy new edition of Don Quixote, a very famous Spanish story. His illustrations helped make this edition a big success.
Carnicero became more and more famous for his art. He created a colorful series called Costumes of Spain and the Indies in 1777. He also painted portraits of important Spanish people in 1788. In 1790, he made a series of etchings (prints) about bullfighting.
One of his most famous works was The Coronation of King Alfonso XI and Queen Mary, His Wife. He painted this for a competition to decorate the Royal Basilica of San Francisco el Grande. He also painted two well-known pictures showing early hot air balloon flights. These paintings might show the very first manned flight in Paris in 1783. Or, they could show a flight that happened in the gardens of Aranjuez in Spain in 1784, watched by the Spanish court.
Working for the King
In 1796, Antonio Carnicero was given a special job: chamber painter for King Charles IV of Spain. He had tried to get this royal job several times before, but finally succeeded. After this, he mostly painted portraits of the royal family. He also painted important government leaders, like a young Manuel Godoy and Pedro Rodríguez de Campomanes.
He taught drawing to the king's children, especially the future King Ferdinand VII. Because he was close to the prince, Carnicero was suspected of being involved in a plan in 1807. This plan, called the El Escorial Conspiracy, aimed to remove King Charles IV from power. Carnicero was arrested on November 7 and held for over ten days before being released.
When Spain came under the rule of Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother) in 1809, Carnicero, like the famous painter Francisco Goya, had to work for the new king to keep his job. After the original Spanish royal family returned to power, Carnicero was put on trial. People questioned if he should keep his job since he had worked for the foreign king. Sadly, Antonio Carnicero died in Madrid on August 21, 1814. This was just a few days before King Ferdinand VII announced that artists who had worked for Joseph Bonaparte would be forgiven.
See Also
In Spanish: Antonio Carnicero para niños
