Exhibition «Raimundo de Madrazo»

The Recoletos gallery of Fundación Mapfre hosts the first major retrospective of Spanish painter Raimundo de Madrazo, one of the most cosmopolitan and technically flawless painters of the 19th century. The exhibition, jointly organised with the Meadows Museum in Dallas, will remain open until 18 January.

Raimundo de Madrazo, the third representative of the famous dynasty of Spanish painters, began his career in Paris at the age of 20. Unlike his forebears, he did not return to Spain, but worked in France and, from 1897 onwards, undertook portrait tours of the United States, where he became a favourite of Parisian and American high society.

At first, Madrazo painted genre scenes with elegant interiors and vivid colours. From the mid-1870s, he focused on portraiture, becoming a favourite of Parisian and American high society. At the 1878 World’s Fair, 14 of his works were awarded the first medal and the artist himself was decorated with the Knight’s Order of the Legion of Honour. Later, his work was undervalued, but a new exhibition recovers the style and language of one of the most cosmopolitan artists of his time.