Rafael Ximeno y Planes facts for kids

Rafael Ximeno y Planes (born in 1759, died in 1807 or 1825) was a talented Spanish artist. He was a painter and also a draughtsman, which means he was skilled at drawing. Rafael was born in Valencia, Spain. He later passed away in Mexico, which was then a Spanish colony called New Spain.

Early Life and Training

Rafael's father was a silversmith. Rafael first learned to paint from his uncle, Luis Planes. Later, he received a scholarship to study art. He went to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. In 1783, he also studied art in Rome, Italy.

Working as an Art Director

In 1786, Rafael became a vice-director at the Royal Academy of San Carlos of Valencia. This was an important art school. Then, in 1793, he moved to Mexico City. There, he became the vice-director of the School of Fine Arts.

Famous Paintings and Frescoes

Besides his work at art schools, Ximeno also created many beautiful paintings. He painted large murals called frescoes in churches. You can see his frescoes in the churches of Jesús María and La Profesa in Mexico City.

One of his most famous frescoes is 'The Assumption of the Virgin'. It is painted inside the dome of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City. Some of his other paintings are in the Basílica de la Asunción. This church is in the town of Cieza, Spain.

Illustrations for Books

Rafael Ximeno y Planes was also known for his drawings. He made many drawings that were used to create prints for books. These drawings were like early sketches for the final printed pictures.

He created illustrations for the first Spanish translation of Robinson Crusoe. This very popular book was written by Daniel Defoe. The Spanish version was published in Madrid in 1789. Four of Rafael's original drawings for this book are kept at the British Library in London.

Ximeno also drew pictures for two different editions of Don Quixote. This is another famous Spanish book. One edition was published by the Royal Spanish Academy in 1780. The other was published between 1797 and 1798. In 1779, he also illustrated a book called Crónica de Juan II.

Engraved Portraits

Rafael Ximeno y Planes also designed portraits that were then engraved. Engraving is a way of printing pictures using a metal plate. He drew portraits of important people like Charles IV of Spain, Francisco de Quevedo, and Pedro Calderón de la Barca. These portraits appeared in a series called Retratos de Españoles Ilustres (Portraits of Famous Spaniards).

• Paintings at the Museo Nacional de Arte, Mexico City
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  Portrait of Gerónimo Antonio Gil

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  The Miracle of the Little Spring, 1809

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  Portrait of Manuel Tolsá

See also

In Spanish: Rafael Ximeno y Planes para niños