Benito Espinós facts for kids

Benito Espinós (born 1748 in Valencia, Spain – died March 23, 1818, also in Valencia) was a talented Spanish artist. He was famous for his beautiful paintings of flowers and decorative designs. These types of paintings are called still-lifes when they show objects that don't move, like flowers in a vase.

Early Life and Training

Benito Espinós learned to paint from his father, José Espinós. His father was also a painter and an engraver, someone who carves designs onto metal plates to make prints. José Espinós had studied with a famous artist named Evaristo Muñoz, who was known for his Baroque style of art.

Benito started his career working in his father's art studio. He painted many decorative designs for a large textile factory in Valencia. This factory made fabrics and was set up by important groups called the "Five Guilds" from Madrid.

Director of the Art School

In 1784, Benito Espinós became the Director of the School of Flowers and Ornamentation. This school was part of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos in Valencia. The main goal of this school was to create designs for the silk industry.

Because of help from a powerful person called the Conde de Floridablanca, Benito also got special painting jobs from the Royal Court. The Royal Court was the group of people around the King and Queen. In 1788, he traveled to Madrid to show five of his paintings to Carlos IV, who was about to become the new King.

Later Life and Artistic Style

In 1815, Benito Espinós had a stroke, which is a serious medical event. It caused him to lose sight in one eye. After this, he decided to leave his position at the Academia.

During his time teaching there, he had a big influence on many students. Several of them became well-known floral painters themselves, including Miguel Parra Abril and José Romá.

Benito Espinós's artwork can be seen in two main periods. In the first period, he painted detailed garlands of flowers. These often had backgrounds showing buildings or people. In his second period, he focused more on natural flower arrangements. These paintings usually featured vases and other simple objects. All of his art followed a strict Classical style, which means it was very balanced and orderly. Many of his paintings can be seen at the Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi.

Images for kids

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  Floral Wreath with Minerva and Mercury

See also

In Spanish: Benito Espinós para niños