Artwork
El marqués de Santillana (copia)
El marqués de Santillana (copia) is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Gabriel Maureta Aracil. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Gabriel Maureta Aracil's 1877 oil on canvas portrait shows the subject holding a book, a detail that underscores his identity as a learned figure. The work is part of the Museo del Prado's collection and exemplifies 19th‑century Spanish portraiture, where the inclusion of scholarly objects served to convey intellectual authority.
Technique & Style
The handling is consistent with nineteenth-century academic portraiture, emphasizing smooth blending and precise detailing of facial features and costume.
The work is painted in oil on canvas, executed in 1877 by Gabriel Maureta y Aracil. The handling is consistent with nineteenth-century academic portraiture, emphasizing smooth blending and precise detailing of facial features and costume. Stylistically, the painting maintains a restrained realism aligned with the conventions of the period, presenting the sitter with quiet dignity and subdued tonality.
The composition centers on the figure against a neutral background, allowing attention to remain on the subject’s refined attire and expression.
Dimensions are recorded as 109 cm in height and 84 cm in width.
History & Provenance
The work is an oil painting on canvas executed in 1877 by the artist Gabriel Maureta Aracil. Created as a portrait depicting a book, the piece measures 109 cm in height and 84 cm in width. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it remains part of the institution's holdings.
The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Created in 1877 by Gabriel Maureta Aracil, the oil on canvas work measures 109 cm in height and 84 cm in width. The available sources confirm its location within the museum but do not provide a specific inventory number or details regarding its exhibition history.
Overview
This 1889 oil painting by Gabriel Maureta Aracil portrays a seated figure, identified as El Marqués de Santillana, in a contemplative setting surrounded by symbols of learning and faith.
Context
The inclusion of a scroll with old-style writing, a shelf of books, and the subject's attire suggests a nod to historical or literary figures, placing the work within a tradition of portraying scholars or nobles in introspective, scholarly environments.
Legacy
As part of the Museo del Prado's holdings, the painting contributes to the institution's comprehensive display of Spanish artistic heritage, though its specific influence or broader impact on art history is not prominently distinguished in available records.
![A Member of the de Hondecoeter Family [obverse]](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/antwerp-16th-century--a-member-of-the-de-hondecoeter-family-obverse--56718cc2d35bf2df-w320.webp)
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
- A Member of the de Hondecoeter Family [obverse]
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