Paintings of 1839
Spanish painter and illustrator. He studied at the Real Academia de S Fernando, Madrid, under Juan Antonio Ribera y Fernández and José de Madrazo y Agudo. He worked independently of court circles and achieved some fame but nevertheless died in such poverty that his burial was paid for by friends. He is often described as the last of the followers of Goya, in whose Caprichos and drawings he found inspiration for the genre scenes for which he became best known. Of these scenes of everyday life and customs the more interesting include The Beating (Madrid, Casón Buen Retiro) and Galician with Puppets (c. 1835; Madrid, Casón Buen Retiro). Alenza y Nieto’s numerous drawings include the illustrations for Alain-René Lesage’s Gil Blas (Madrid, 1840), for an […]
Issac Van Amburgh is a name less celebrated today, but he was God for many during the 1800s. The man died aged about 65, and left a legacy that I will definitely remember when I see the next freak playing with a leopard or crocodile on National Geographic. Animal trainer and knighthood recipient, Van Amburgh was one of the most popular animals man in his day. He is also responsible for introducing lions, panthers, tigers and the lot to circus. Such was the prowess of his training abilities. The painting depicts an occasion when he surprised everybody by entering a cage with a lion, a tiger, two leopards, a bear and a lamb! Legend has it that he also faced a panther on a similar […]