Leonardo Alenza

LEONARDO ALENZA Y NIETO (Madrid, 1807 - 1845).
"Peasants".
Oil on canvas.
Attached certificate issued by José Manuel Arnaiz.
Bibliography: Catalog Arteuropa, S.A. Barcelona, 1987.
Measurements: 32 x 46 cm; 45 x 57 cm (with frame).

Scene of costumbrista character that reflects with great sensitivity the rural life, habitual thematic in the production of Leonardo Alenza, one of the most singular painters of the Spanish romanticism. The composition presents a group of peasant figures in a landscape environment treated with an enveloping atmosphere, where light and earthy tones contribute to a sense of everyday life and seclusion. Alenza also introduces a subtle contrast between the serenity of the landscape and the expressiveness of the characters, achieving a lively and humanized scene.

The loose brushstrokes and the light treatment show his closeness to the Goyaesque tradition, especially in the attention to the popular types and in a certain underlying melancholy. This work is thus part of the artist's more intimate and observational line, highly valued for his ability to capture everyday reality with a personal and modern approach for his time.

Leonardo Alenza was trained at the Royal Academy of San Fernando under the influence of José de Madrazo, an institution where he became an academician of merit in 1842. He was considered by Aureliano de Beruete as the most outstanding continuator of the Goyaesque tradition in the 19th century. His work is widely represented in the Museo del Prado, as well as in institutions such as the Museo del Romanticismo, the Museo de Historia de Madrid, the Biblioteca Nacional, the Museo Lázaro Galdiano and the Museo Cerralbo.