Vicente Camarón Torra

VICENTE CAMARÓN TORRA (Madrid, 1803-Madrid, 1864)
"Landscape", 1860.
Oil on canvas.
Presents restorations and patches on the back.
Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 20 x 24.5 cm; 46.5 x 50 cm (frame).
Vicente Camarón was an outstanding Spanish artist of the 19th century, whose career included painting, drawing and decoration. His production focused especially on landscape, although he also dealt with historical, religious and genre themes. He trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes in Madrid, where he consolidated a solid academic base that would place him among the pioneers of romantic landscape painting in Spain.
Camarón played an active role in Madrid's artistic circles of his time: he was a full member and professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, as well as honorary painter to the king. In addition, he held important positions in the Spanish Artistic and Literary Lyceum of Madrid, where he chaired the painting section and participated in the organization of exhibitions, particularly during the years 1845 and 1846.
His work reveals a remarkable technical knowledge and a sensitivity akin to the romantic spirit. The landscapes he developed, marked by a dark palette and an introspective atmosphere, show influences of both the naturalistic baroque of the Flemish painters of the 17th century, such as David Teniers and Frans Snyders, and the English landscape tradition of the 19th century, which is evidence of a cosmopolitan visual formation.
As a draughtsman, he contributed significantly to the lithographic collection of the paintings of the King of Spain, directed by José de Madrazo, a publishing company of great prestige at the time. As a decorator, he was responsible for the ornamentation of the four cabinets and the vault of the conference room of the Palace of the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, interventions that demonstrate his mastery of institutional decorative language and his ability to adapt to large-format and technically demanding commissions.