Josep Cusachs facts for kids

Josep Cusachs i Cusachs (born July 19, 1851, in Montpellier; died 1908, in Barcelona) was a talented Spanish soldier and painter. He was especially known for his amazing paintings of military scenes and horses.

About His Life

Josep Cusachs was born in France while his parents were traveling. However, he spent most of his life in Spain, near the cities of Barcelona and Mataró.

When he was 14, in 1865, he joined the "Academia Militar de Artillería" in Segovia. This was a military school where he learned to be an artillery officer. He became a Captain and even fought in a war called the Third Carlist War in Spain.

In 1882, he decided to leave the army with the rank of Commander. He wanted to spend all his time on art. Even though he left the army, his experiences there were very important to him. Most of his paintings showed military life, especially cavalry (soldiers on horseback), because he loved horses so much.

He studied art in Spain with a local artist named Simó Gómez. Later, he went to Paris to learn from Édouard Detaille, who was a famous expert in military art.

His Art Career

Josep Cusachs had his first art show in 1884 at a big art gallery in Barcelona called Sala Parés. He showed his paintings there often and became very successful, both with critics and in selling his art.

Three years later, he showed his work in Madrid. His painting called En el campo de maniobras (which means Maneuvers in the Field) was bought by Queen María Cristina herself! This was a huge honor. In 1891, he won a gold medal at an important art show in Berlin for another painting, Maniobras de división (Divisional Maneuvers).

Besides his military art, he was also a great portrait painter. He painted important people like King Alfonso XIII, General Juan Prim, and even the President of Mexico, Porfirio Díaz. You can see the portrait of President Díaz in a museum in Mexico.

He also painted some religious scenes. One of his well-known religious paintings is La huída a Egipto (The Flight from Egypt), which is kept in the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey.

Later in his life, he started painting more about horse riding as a sport. Sometimes, other painters would help him with the landscapes in his paintings because he felt he wasn't as good at them. You can find some of his drawings in a book called Military Life in Spain by Francesc Barado [ca].

Josep Cusachs passed away in Barcelona in 1908.

Selected Paintings

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  At the Racecourse

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  Soldier

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  Awaiting the Return

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  Artillery Regiment

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  Josep Puigcarbó by Josep Cusachs

Images for kids

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  Josep Cusachs, painted by Ramon Casas

See also

In Spanish: José Cusachs para niños