Francisco de Goya

Francisco del Mazo

Francisco del Mazo
Datos Generales
Cronología
Ca. 1815
Ubicación
Musée Goya, Castres, France
Dimensiones
90 x 71 cm
Técnica y soporte
Oil on canvas
Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
Documented work
Titular
Musée Goya, Castres
Ficha: realización/revisión
14 Apr 2010 / 16 Jun 2023
Inventario
(894-5-3)
Inscripciones

A Dn Fra.co del Mazo / Calle SANTAN / DER Madrid ("To Don Francisco del Mazo, Calle Santander" (in red), "Madrid", on the letter in the subject's right hand).

Historia

The painter Marcel Briguiboul, who had studied in Spain, bought this piece by Goya in Madrid, together with two others, also by the artist: The Junta of the Philippines and Self-Portrait wearing Glasses. His son, Pierre Briguiboul, bequeathed these paintings, together with other pieces from his collection, to the Goya Museum in Castres in 1893-94.

Análisis artístico

Francisco del Mazo (Peñilla de Cayón, Santander, 1772-?) was the cousin of Manuel García de la Prada, a collector of Goya's work, theatre aficionado, friend of Moratín and a member of Goya's circle of friends, and also a sitter for one of the artist's paintings. It appears that Francisco lived for several years with his uncle, aunt and cousin in Madrid, where he met Goya. Moreover, he was "agente de casa" to the Duchess of Alba, providing another connection to the artist. Both he and his cousin were art lovers, although his professional career was in finance and he was a member of the Governing Board of the Bank of San Carlos. Francisco del Mazo also held the post of "Chief Bailiff of the Inquisition of Logroño", which makes it unlikely that his ties to Goya, who was opposed to the activities of the inquisition, went beyond the contact necessary for the realization of this portrait. Even his cousin, who was connected to the government of Bonaparte, was forced into exile whilst Del Mazo held his post after the return of Ferdinand VII. According to Nigel Glendinning, Goya must have painted this work for money rather than due to any friendship between the artist and his client, despite any connections they may have shared.

This painting forms part of a series of portraits of art-loving traders and bourgeois. Francisco del Mazo is shown sitting in a chair in front of a desk on top of which is a book of drawings or prints, suggesting that the subject dedicated his free time to studying the arts. The inscription on the letter he holds in his right hand is not clearly legible. Although the majority of scholars interpret the word in red to read "Santander", Glendinning points out that no such street existed in Madrid and the most likely explanation is that Del Mazo was between addresses at the time the portrait was made. He did in fact buy a house in 1815, and if this really was the reason for the unclear inscription, the work could be precisely dated to that year.

Del Mazo is shown dressed in a black cassock with bright buttons, rendered with white touches of the brush. His white shirt reaches all the way up to his chin. His hands are barely visible, one being foreshortened and covered by the letter and the other concealed inside his jacket, as was common in these portraits. Such "handless" portraits had a lower value than those that showed the sitter's hands, and were less expensive as a result. Francisco del Mazo's face reveals his rough features: a wide, flattened nose, fleshy lips, bushy eyebrows and thick head of black hair, which extends down into the wide sideburns that cover his cheeks. Without a doubt, the subject had a very particular physiognomy which Goya did not wish to hide under any idealization.

Exposiciones
  • Peintures de Goya des collections de France
    Musée de l’Orangerie
    París
    1938
  • Goya
    Ministry of Foreing Affairs
    Burdeos
    1951
    organized by the Bordeaux City Hall, consultant editor Gilberte Martin-Méry. From May 16th to June 30th 1951
  • Goya. Gemälde Zeichnungen. Graphik. Tapisserien
    Kunsthalle Basel
    Basle
    1953
    from January 23th to April 12th 1953
  • Goya
    Musée Jacquemart-André
    París
    1961
    consultant editor Jean-Gabriel Domergue. From December 1961 to February 1962
  • Trésors de la peinture espagnole, Eglises et Musées de France
    Palais du Louvre and Musée des Arts Décoratifs
    París
    1963
    from January to April 1963
  • Goya and his times
    The Royal Academy of Arts
    London
    1963
    cat. 66
  • Goya
    Koninklijk Kabinet van Schilderijen Mauritshuis
    The Hauge
    1970
    organized by Ministerio de Estado y Asuntos Culturales and Réunion des Musées Nationaux, July 4th to September 13th 1970. Exhibited also at the Musée de l’Orangerie des Tuileries, Paris, October 25th to December 7th 1970, consultant editors Jeannine Baticle and A. B. de Vries
  • Goya (1746 – 1828)
    Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna di Ca’Pesaro
    Venecia
    1989
    consultant editor Antonio Fortún Paesa. From May 7th to July 4th 1989
  • Goya
    La Lonja, Torreón Fortea y Museo Pablo Gargallo
    Zaragoza
    1992
    consultant editor Julián Gállego
  • Goya
    Nationalmuseum
    Stockholm
    1994
    consultant editors Juan J. Luna and Görel Cavalli-Björkman. From October 7th 1994 to January 8th 1995
  • Goya. 250 Aniversario
    Museo Nacional del Prado
    Madrid
    1996
    consultant editor Juan J. Luna. From March 29th to June 2nd 1996
  • Realidad e imagen. Goya 1746 – 1828
    Museo de Zaragoza
    Zaragoza
    1996
    consultant editor Federico Torralba Soriano. From October 3th to December 1st 1996
Bibliografía
  • GASSIER, Pierre y WILSON, Juliet
    Vie et ouvre de Francisco de Goya
    ParísOffice du livre
    1970
    pp. 298, 377, cat. 1554
  • GUDIOL RICART, José
    BarcelonaPolígrafa
    1970
    vol. I, p. 348, cat. 573
  • ANGELIS, Rita de
    L’opera pittorica completa di Goya
    MilanRizzoli
    1974
    p. 130, cat. 599
  • GLENDINNING, Nigel
    El retrato en la obra de Goya
    MadridFundación Amigos del Museo del Prado
    1987
    p. 130, cat. 599
  • LUNA, Juan J. (Comisario)
    Goya. 250 Aniversario
    MadridMuseo del Prado
    1996
    p. 417, cat. 148 y p. 248 (il.)
  • TORRALBA SORIANO, Federico (comisario)
    Realidad e imagen. Goya 1746 – 1828
    MadridGobierno de Aragón y Electa España
    1996
    p. 180, cat. 64 y p. 181 (il.)
  • AUGE, Jean-Louis
    Musèe Goya, Castres
    Fondation Paribas
    1997
    pp. 50-52 y p. 51 (il.)
Enlaces externos
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