Jenaro Pérez Villaamil Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Jenaro Pérez Villaamil
Portrait of Jenaro Pérez Villaamil by Louis-Joseph Ghémar, 1843
Born	3 February 1807 Ferrol, Galicia, Spain
Died	5 June 1854 Madrid, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Education	Santiago de Compostela
Known for	Painter
Movement	Orientalist; Romantic

Jenaro Pérez de Villaamil y d'Huguet (born on February 3, 1807 – died on June 5, 1854) was a Spanish painter. He worked in the Romantic style. Jenaro was known for painting landscapes with people and scenes with impressive buildings. He often made the buildings look much bigger than the people in his paintings. This made them seem even grander.

A Young Artist's Life
Selected Paintings
Images for kids
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A Young Artist's Life

Jenaro Pérez de Villaamil was born in Ferrol, Galicia, Spain. When he was five years old, in 1812, he joined a military academy. This academy was in Santiago de Compostela. His father was a professor there, and Jenaro helped him.

In 1820, Jenaro moved to Madrid. He studied at the "Reales Estudios de San Isidro." This school is now part of the Colegio Imperial de Madrid.

Joining the Army and Art School

Three years later, in 1823, Jenaro went to Cádiz. He joined the army to fight against a group called the "Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis." These soldiers were sent by the Duke of Angoulême. Jenaro was hurt during the fighting. He was also held as a prisoner for a short time.

After this, he stayed in Cádiz. He decided to study art at the "Escuela de Bellas Artes." This was a school for fine arts.

Travels and New Influences

In 1830, Jenaro traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico. He went with his brother, Juan, who was also a painter. They worked together to decorate the Teatro Tapia. They stayed in Puerto Rico for a few years. During this time, they worked as scenographers, designing stage sets for plays.

Jenaro returned to Spain in 1833. There, he met a Scottish painter named David Roberts. Meeting Roberts was very important for Jenaro's art style. Roberts's work greatly influenced Jenaro's own paintings.

Life in Madrid and Royal Recognition

Jenaro settled in Madrid in 1834. The next year, he became a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. This was a very important art academy.

In 1840, Queen Isabella II gave him a special title. He was named an honorary court painter. This meant he was an artist who worked for the royal family.

From 1840 to 1844, Jenaro lived outside of Spain. He traveled in France and Belgium. He used his artistic work as a reason for his travels. He returned to Spain in 1845. After coming back, he became a professor of landscape painting at the Academia. Later, he became the director of the academy.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1849, Jenaro went back to Galicia for a long visit. He traveled widely across Spain until 1852. Around this time, he started to get sick with a liver disease. Jenaro Pérez de Villaamil died in Madrid two years later, in 1854. He was only 47 years old.