The Spanish Wedding facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Spanish Wedding
Artist	Marià Fortuny
Year	1870
Medium	Oil on panel
Subject	Realism
Dimensions	60 cm × 93.5 cm (24 in × 36.8 in)
Location	Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

The Spanish Wedding or La Vicaría (1868–1870) is a masterwork by Marià Fortuny i Marsal, also known as Marià Fortuny or Mariano Fortuny. La Vicaría exemplifies genre painting of the 19th century. The use of jewel tones, contrasts between light and dark, and the virtuosity of the work attest to Fortuny's talent. It resides at Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.

Marià Fortuny

Marià Fortuny (1838–1874), a Catalan and Spanish artist, was known during the 19th century for his oil paintings, etchings, and watercolors. Fortuny was a master artist of genre painting; these show scenes from everyday life. The subject matter can be from any social class and have historical elements. Fortuny was a prodigy, completing other master works when he was 12 years old. The Spanish Wedding was completed when he was just 32. It exemplifies the genre style in three ways. First, a wedding is a typical part of life, and was an especially important celebration in 19th century Spain and Catalonia. Second, the painting tells a story, which needs no outside information. Finally, the mixing of historical and contemporary elements is typical of genre paintings.

History

Watercolor Sketch for "The Spanish Wedding"
Artist	Marià Fortuny
Year	1868–1870
Type	Watercolor on paper
Location	Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

The Spanish Wedding was painted from 1868 to 1870. It was started in Rome and completed when the artist moved to Paris. Fortuny's working style is characterized by extensive research. Many test sketches and watercolors survive. These practice works show Fortuny's artistic process. Each sketch becomes more sophisticated, and refines his extensive research, prior to putting brush to canvass. Fortuny was known for using family and friends, as well as professionals, as models for his paintings. In The Spanish Wedding, his wife, Cecilia de Madrazo, and sister in law, Isabel de Madrazo, daughters of Federico de Madrazo the director of the Museo del Prado, modeled for the painting, as well as the artist, Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier.

It is believed that The Spanish Wedding was inspired by a visit to a parish church in Madrid in preparation for his marriage to Cecilia de Madrazo. When the painting was displayed in 1870, it brought Fortuny international praise by both the general public and by the art community. Instead of being shown at the Paris Salon, the painting was exhibited at the gallery belonging to Adolph Goupil at No. 9 Rue Chaptral, Paris. Goupil was a major art dealer in the 19th century. The Spanish Wedding was quickly sold to Adèle Cassin, for 70,000 francs. This was one of the highest prices a painting had commanded to date, excepting Meissonier's 1814, la Campagne de France, which sold in 1866 for 85,000 francs. The Spanish Wedding catapulted Fortuny to international fame and his paintings were in high demand the rest of his career.

Showing "The Spanish Wedding", 1922
Year	1922
Type	Photograph
Location	Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

The painting remained in private hands until 1922. At that time, it was purchased by the Municipal Museum of Barcelona along with the Museum Board of Barcelona. Due to a misunderstanding, it became urgent for the museum to purchase the piece. It was believed the owner was moving to America and taking the painting with him. The Barcelona government decided that it would be best for the art work to come back to Spain and the funds for this endeavor were raised by subscription. It arrived at the museum in 1922 and is now cared for and displayed by Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in Barcelona.

Exhibition history

See also

In Spanish: La vicaría para niños