Francisco Pradilla

FRANCISCO PRADILLA ORTIZ (Villanueva de Gállego, Zaragoza, 1848 - Madrid, 1921).
"Landscape".1910
Oil on canvas.
With apocryphal signature and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 31 x 44 cm; 54 x 67 cm (frame).

Pradilla presents here a serene vision of the natural environment, constructed from a loose and nuanced brushstroke, close to late naturalism. The foreground is articulated with a path and stone walls that lead the eye towards a mountainous background enveloped in a luminous and slightly veiled atmosphere. The presence of small human figures introduces an intimate, everyday scale, reinforcing the contemplative character of the landscape. The chromatic range, dominated by greens, ochers and soft blues, conveys balance and a harmonious perception of nature.

Francisco Pradilla Ortiz was one of the most outstanding Spanish painters of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, he furthered his studies in Rome, where he consolidated his prestige as a history painter, a genre in which he achieved great recognition. He was director of the Spanish Academy in Rome and the Prado Museum, and is considered a key figure of realism and pictorial historicism in Spain. His work is preserved in institutions such as the Prado Museum, museums in Bilbao, Buenos Aires, Havana, São Paulo, the MACBA, the Christchurch Art Gallery and the Romantic Museum, among others.