José Gutiérrez de la Vega facts for kids
José Gutiérrez de la Vega (born December 26, 1791 – died December 1865) was a Spanish painter. He was famous for creating beautiful pictures of people (called portraits) and paintings with religious themes.
Contents
Life Story of José Gutiérrez de la Vega
Early Life and Art Education
José Gutiérrez de la Vega was born in the city of Seville, Spain. His father was an artist who worked with engraving (making designs on metal) and woodcarving. José started learning art in his father's workshops. Later, he joined the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Santa Isabel de Hungría, which was an important art school. He studied there until 1817. In 1825, he became an assistant teacher at the same academy.
Moving to Madrid and Gaining Fame
In 1828, José became friends with an English writer named Richard Ford. This friendship led him to spend his summers in Cádiz with Sir John MacPherson Brackenbury, who was the British Consul there. In 1830, José painted a portrait of Brackenbury and his family. This painting won first prize in a competition!
The next year, feeling encouraged, José traveled to Madrid with his friend, the painter Antonio María Esquivel. They both entered a competition at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, another famous art school. They didn't win right away. However, José and his family moved to Madrid permanently the following year. This happened after he was given a special honor called "Academician of Merit" for his painting "The Last Communion of San Fernando."
José quickly became a very popular painter among the wealthy people in Madrid. He always had many requests for paintings. He was also a member of the Board of Directors for an art and literature group called the "Liceo Artístico y Literario." In 1838, he was offered a teaching job at the Academy in Seville, but he chose to stay in Madrid.
Working for the Queen
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Two years later, in 1840, José gained the favor of Queen Isabel II. He became like an unofficial painter for the royal court. The next few years were his busiest time. During this period, he also became known for painting very small portraits, called portrait miniatures. Some of his most famous large portraits, including ones of Queen Isabel and Mariano José de Larra, were created then.
Religious paintings were also a big part of his work. He painted Saints Justa and Rufina, a Virgin with Child, and a painting that represented ideas from the New Testament. These works showed the influence of an earlier famous painter, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, who was his first inspiration.
Later Years and Retirement
In 1845, José had to resign from his position at the Seville Academy. Even though he wrote many letters to the Director and tried to help the academy from the Royal Court, people complained that he was always absent. Around this time, he also started to lose the Queen's favor and had trouble getting paid for his work. Several of his projects were left unfinished. He gave up hope of becoming an official court painter. After this, he painted less and seemed to stop painting completely by the late 1850s. He passed away in Madrid.
See also
In Spanish: José Gutiérrez de la Vega para niños
