An artist's artist friends - portraits of painters and sculptors by Federico de Madrazo y Kuntz

(Detail of below.)

Only recently have I begun to pay more attention to the paintings of Madazo y Kuntz. I think I previously found them too dark, too sober, too stereotypically "Spanish"; all those black clothes, you know. But looking closer, there's such a wonderful truthfulness to his work. His brushwork is tender and exquisite. And many of his portraits - some of those here, certainly - have the silvery elegance of a Velázquez. He painted and drew many portraits of his fellow artists - this is only a selection - most of which display a charming intimacy, an expression of the friendship shared by artist and subject; several are inscribed "A su amigo".

 Cosme Algarra y Hurtado, 1870.

Benito Soriano Murillo, 1855.

José Siro Pérez, 1839.

 Carlos de Haes, 1867.

 Eduardo Rosales Gallinas, 1867.

Edmund Wodick (Ludwig Eduard Edmund Wodick), 1845.

 Vicente Poleró y Toledo, 1873.

Carlos Luis de Ribera y Fievé, 1839.

Karl Müller, 1842.

Ventura de la Vega (Born Buenaventura José María de la Vega y Cárdenas), 1849. (OK, I admit it: I snuck a writer in.)

Perugino Sensi (Gaspare Sensi, also known as Gaspar Sensi y Baldachi), 1873.

Claudio Lorenzale i Sugrañes, 1841.

Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta, the artist's son, also a very successful painter, 1875. Inscribed, " A mi querido hijo Raymundo".