Pedro de Villafranca: printmaker at the court of Philip IV

Abstract

"This is the first comprehensive account of the life and work of the Spanish artist Pedro de Villafranca y Malagón (c. 1615-1684). His unrivalled skill as an engraver was recognised through his appointment in 1654 as printmaker to the king of Spain, a position that was unique during the reign of Philip IV. Villafranca's portraits are closely aligned with those of the court painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1600), insofar as they reveal each artist's remarkable ability to capture the character of their sitter. In addition to portraits of the monarch and the royal family, Villafranca engraved more than 300 prints, mainly as book illustration, alongside working as professional painter, art restorer, appraiser and project manager -- activities that reflect his need to survive in the competitive art world of Madrid. Seventeenth-century Spain witnessed immense economic, social and artistic changes, not only in its capital but throughout its Empire. Villafranca's oeuvre also reflects the wider European print culture, including the work of other influential artists, among them Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). Villafranca's striking compositions reveal collaboration and awareness of contemporary artistic developments while responding to the demands of the individuals who controlled and manipulated imagery for political, religious, intellectual and artistic ends. As such, study of his prints allows us to appreciate a principal conduit for the transmission of visual culture as Spain approached the final decades of what has been described as its Golden Age." -- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Introduction: paths to printmaking -- Biographical outline -- Printmaker to the king -- Collaboration -- Catalogue -- Appendix: documents relating to Pedro de Villafranca / compiled by Álvaro Cánovas Morenos.