Valentín Carderera facts for kids
Valentín Carderera y Solano (born February 14, 1796, in Huesca; died March 25, 1880, in Madrid) was a Spanish artist, a very knowledgeable scholar, and a collector of art. He was even given the special title of honorary court painter during the time of Queen Isabel II.
Contents
Biography of Valentín Carderera
Valentín Carderera first studied philosophy at the Universidad Sertoriana de Huesca. Later, with help from José de Palafox, he studied drawing in Zaragoza with Buenaventura Salesa. He then went on to study painting in Madrid at the Royal Academy of Arts. His teachers there included famous artists like Mariano Salvador Maella and José de Madrazo.
In 1822, Valentín won a special grant to study in Rome. This grant was given to him by José António, the Duke of Villahermosa. He stayed in Italy for many years, until 1831. During this time, he traveled a lot and created many sketches and watercolours.
Return to Spain and New Roles
When he returned to Spain in 1836, Valentín received an important job. He was asked to make a list of all the artworks that had become government property from monasteries that were no longer active in Castile.
From 1838, he became an important member of the board at the Museo Real de Pintura y Escultura. He was also a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, where he taught art history. In 1843, he was given a special position at the Real Academia de la Historia. In 1873, he helped start the Museo de Huesca by giving them paintings from his own art collection.
Famous Portraits and Writings
Valentín Carderera is best known for his portraits of famous Spanish people throughout history. He collected these portraits in a large book called Iconografía Española. This book was first published in 1855 and then made even bigger in 1864. It is considered his most important work. To help pay for the book's publication, he had to sell his collection of drawings and prints to the National Library.
He also wrote many articles about art and culture. These articles appeared regularly in magazines like El Artista, Semanario Pintoresco Español, El Museo Universal, and the French Gazette des Beaux-Arts. In 1866, he helped publish the first edition of a book called Discursos practicables del nobilísimo arte de la pintura. This book was originally written in 1675 by Jusepe Martínez.
Art Collector and Goya Expert
As an art collector, Valentín especially loved the drawings and engravings made by Francisco de Goya. He owned a very large collection of Goya's works. In 1835, he wrote the first important biography about Goya, which was published in the magazine El Artista.
Key Writings by Valentín Carderera
- Catálogo y descripción sumaria de retratos antiguos... coleccionados por D. Valentin Carderera y Solano: This was a catalogue, or list, of old portraits that Valentín Carderera had collected. It was published in 1877.
- Iconografía española: This large collection included portraits, statues, and other important artworks of kings, queens, famous leaders, and writers from the 11th to the 17th century. Valentín copied these artworks himself. The book also included descriptions and biographies in both Spanish and French. It was published in two volumes between 1855 and 1864.
- Informe sobre los retratos de Cristobal Colon, su trage y escudo de armas: This was a report about the portraits of Christopher Columbus, his clothing, and his coat of arms. Valentín read this report to the Royal Academy of History in 1851.
See also
In Spanish: Valentín Carderera para niños
