José Balaca facts for kids

Retrato de dama con su hijo , c.1860.

Dama con abanico, c. 1857.

José Balaca y Carrión (born in 1800, died in 1869) was a Spanish painter. He was born in the city of Cartagena. José Balaca was also the father of two other famous painters, Eduardo Balaca and Ricardo Balaca.

Early Life and Training

José Balaca moved to Madrid in 1828. There, he studied art at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. This was a very important art school in Spain.

Royal Patronage and Exile

Later, José Balaca became a favorite painter of the Spanish royal family. This is called "royal patronage." He painted scenes about important events, especially from the First Carlist War. This war was a big conflict in Spain at the time.

After a change in the government, José Balaca had to leave Spain. This is called going into "exile." He moved to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. In Lisbon, he became a popular portrait painter. He also created many small paintings called miniatures. He received many requests for his art from the Portuguese royal court.

Travels and Return to Spain

José Balaca traveled a lot during his life. He spent time living and working in big cities like London and Paris. These were important art centers in Europe.

Finally, in 1852, Balaca returned to Spain. He settled down permanently in Madrid. He passed away in Madrid on November 19, 1869, when he was 69 years old.