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Contemporary painting in the style
of Costumbrismo |
During the first quarter of the nineteenth century and with
the appearance of the Napoleonic Empire there will be a great influence in
Europe from French artists like J.L David. Among others disciples of David was Jose Madrazo and through his works, neoclassicism starts approaching our
peninsula, which will drive the bourgeoisie into neoclassical style, and will cause the situation when in
Spain little by little wealthy Spaniards start forgetting their roots - that is the moment when
Costumbrismo begins.
The exact origins of this artistic style are not very clear, but most
likely it was at random, partially related to the nationalism and the idea of preservation
of our traditions. Originally the concept was developed in literature, but soon
it will be delivered to fine arts: watercolors, oils, lithography etc...
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La Sopa Boba, L. Alenza y Nieto,
Museo Lazaro Galdiano, Madrid |
Costumbrist paintings and drawings usually depict Spanish habits and local scenes, which
probably had influenced foreign travelers of the time, as they were the ones purchasing most of this
type of considereded “minor art”. Costumbrists' works represent popular facts and people like
“Majas”, “Dancers”, “Buñoleros” (confectioner), “Street Merchants” or Bandoleers”
among others.
Costumbrismo varies depending on the region of the artist:
either Andaluz or, like the one we’ll be looking at later, Madrileño. This
genre was greatly influenced by the works of Don Francisco de Goya and the
Lithographic Establishment and was normally practiced by autodidacts, all of
them posterior to the Independence War and most were “artists for pleasure”, who
died poor, like Leonardo Alenza, the costumrist artist the author of this article would like destinguish among others. These ladies and gentlemen did not
want to be part of the “establishment”, they would never participate in National
exhibitions and refuse any awards given, which in turn sent them in to the
oblivion.
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| Suicide for Love, L. Alenza |
The expression of Costumbrismo Madileño was very different, if
compared to the one in Andalucia: here the themes were more grotesque, bitter
and critic, in general a lot more dramatic, and in Andalucia was the opposite.
In Madrid one of the most distinguished artists of this artistic
genre, was the genius Leonardo Alenza, born in the city in 1807, son of a poet.
His step mother made an unfortunate decision of selling “wrongly” a great
collection of Leonardo’s own drawings anonymously. Most of them can be found today
at the National Library in Madrid and in one of the hidden jewels of the city, the Museum
of Romanticism.
Alenza worked with a vast variance of themes, including portrait,
religious painting, Costumbrismo, drawings and others. He was apparently a quite
person, not very communicative and of a weak nature; he had a tendency to be
depressed and get ill easily.
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| El Sacamuelas, L. Alenza |
Leonardo studied in the School of Fine Arts of San Fernando
and among his teachers were such renowned artists as Juan Antonio Ribera and
Jose Madrazo. Alenza was just an observer of Madrid, its life that happened on
the streets, in stores and cafes, and this is what would inspire the art he
made. His lithographies and drawings would be published in those nineteenth
century papers and magazines. Even if he was not a very active of the literary cafes
gatherings, some of them were decorated with his art work, like Cafe de Levante
unfortunately gone today.
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L. Alenza, Satire al suicidio romantico,
Museo del Romanticismo, Madrid |
Amongst Alenza’s art works I would like to draw your
attention to the three of them:
Suicide for Love: A satire of the habits going for the
romantic idea of the grotesque and sarcastic.
La Sopa Boba: Represents a charity meal given by priest to
the ones with needs.
El Sacamuelas: Small casacón painting, portraying a normal
day in everyone’s life – everybody needs a tooth to be pulled out.
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| Leonardo Alenza |
Unfortunately Alenza died alone and with no money at all. His
friends had to collect money, so he could be buried on a common burial; also his
friends were the ones who managed to save some of his art work, and this is how
today I can be writing about this incredible Madrileño artist.
PS:
In Memory of
Leonardo Alenza
(6/11/1807 - 30/07/1845),
The protector of our traditions
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