José Aparicio Facts for Kids

José Aparicio (1820); probably a self-portrait

José Aparicio e Inglada (born December 16, 1773 – died May 10, 1838) was a famous Spanish painter. He painted in a style called Neoclassical. This means his art often looked back to ancient Greek and Roman art. He was very close to King Ferdinand VII and painted many important works for him.

Early Life and Training
- Studying in Paris and Rome
Return to Spain and Royal Painter
- Famous Works and Later Life
Selected paintings
See also

Early Life and Training

José Aparicio was born in Alicante, Spain, in 1773. He was one of eight children in a regular family. He started learning art at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos de Valencia. He won first prize for painting there in 1793. After that, he went to another art school in Madrid, the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

Studying in Paris and Rome

In 1796, José Aparicio won a special award from King Carlos IV. This award allowed him to study art in Paris and Rome. In Paris, he was the first Spanish student of a very famous French painter, Jacques-Louis David. In 1805, José Aparicio won a gold medal for his painting called "The Yellow Fever in Valencia."

He moved to Rome in 1807. At that time, Joseph I became the new King of Spain. José Aparicio and other Spaniards in Rome refused to support this new king. Because of this, they were held almost like prisoners at the Castel Sant'Angelo. They stayed there until King Ferdinand was back on the throne in 1813.

Return to Spain and Royal Painter

After he was free, José Aparicio was called back to Spain. He arrived in 1815 and settled in Madrid a few months later. King Ferdinand appointed him as a court painter. This meant he was an official artist for the King.

A year later, he started painting "The Glories of Spain." This big painting took him two years to finish. It was the first of many paintings he made about Spanish pride and history.

Famous Works and Later Life

His most famous painting is "The Landing of Ferdinand VII at the Port of Santa María." For this work, he was honored as an "Academician of Merit" in 1829. Later, he became the Director of the Academia de San Fernando, a very important art school.

Besides historical paintings, he was also known for painting portraits. He painted many important people, including Spanish nobles and military officers.

After King Ferdinand died in 1833, José Aparicio lost his special position. The new government did not like him because they saw him as someone who promoted the old King. After getting sick with pneumonia, he had to retire. He was given a small pension, but he struggled to get his payments on time. He died in Madrid when he was 64 years old, living in poverty.