Manuel Gómez-Moreno González Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Gómez-Moreno and the second or maternal family name is González.

Quick facts for kids Manuel Gómez-Moreno González
Manuel Gómez-Moreno González,Self-portrait, 1878
Born	26 June 1834 Granada, Spain
Died	20 December 1918(1918-12-20) (aged 84) Granada, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Education	Escuela de Bellas Artes, Granada; Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid (1857-1860)
Known for	Painter, illustrator, teacher, author

Manuel Gómez-Moreno González (born June 26, 1834 – died December 20, 1918) was a Spanish painter, a person who loved studying old things (amateur archaeologist), and a professor. His son, Manuel Gómez-Moreno Martínez, also became a famous historian and archaeologist.

Manuel's Early Life and Art Training
A Teacher and a Busy Artist
Discovering History and Preserving the Past
Amazing Artworks
See also

Manuel's Early Life and Art Training

Manuel was born in Granada, Spain, into a family that believed in new ideas. His father owned a book store where he also printed and bound books.

When his family saw that Manuel was very good at art, they sent him to the "Escuela de Bellas Artes" (School of Fine Arts). He learned so quickly that he was soon moved to a more advanced school, the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. He studied there from 1857 to 1860 with famous teachers like Federico de Madrazo.

Saint John of God saving the Sick at the Royal Hospital

After finishing his studies, Manuel returned to Granada. He faced some money problems at first. But he won prizes in 1861 and 1862 during local festivals. This helped him get several jobs painting for the city.

A Teacher and a Busy Artist

In 1867, Manuel became a drawing teacher at the "Colegio de San Bartolomé y Santiago." He also taught at other schools. Until 1888, he held a special teaching position at the "Escuela de Bellas Artes." In the evenings, he even gave free private lessons to students.

While teaching, he kept painting many pictures. He painted scenes from everyday life and important moments in Spanish history. He won a gold medal at an art show in Granada in 1876.

Two years later, the local government gave him money to study in Rome, Italy. He lived there with his wife and son until 1880. One of his paintings from Rome, called "St. John of God saving the Sick from a Fire at the Royal Hospital," won a second prize at a big art exhibition in Spain in 1881.

Discovering History and Preserving the Past

Manuel was interested in the history of Granada from a young age. In 1872, he helped dig up the first old remains at a place called Medina Elvira [es]. This was an important ancient city that might have been the start of the Taifa of Granada, a medieval kingdom.

In 1892, he started publishing a travel guide called Guía de Granada. This book became a model for many guidebooks that came after it. He also wrote many historical studies for magazines and small books. He wrote about famous artists like Diego de Siloé and Alonso Cano. He also wrote about important buildings like the Palace of Charles V and the Alhambra. He was part of a group that worked to protect historical monuments.

His work and advice were very important when the Archaeological Museum of Granada was created. In 1904, he became the President of the "Patronato de la Alhambra y el Generalife". This group works to protect the famous Alhambra palace and gardens. He also led the Royal Chapel of Granada. Manuel Gómez-Moreno González passed away in Granada when he was 84 years old.