Painter. He was a Spanish painter of the 19th century. Born Mariano Fortuny y Marsal, he came from humble beginnings, with both parents dying by the time he was age 12 and a grandfather being his care giver. By the age of nine, his talent was recognized by a local patron. After relocating to Barcelona in 1852, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1857 he earned a two-year scholarship to Rome, where he studied drawing under Spanish and Italian artists. In 1859 he was commissioned by the Spanish government to paint a scene from the six-month Spanish-Moroccan War of 1859. He traveled to Morocco twice, eventually starting "La Batalla de Tetuán," a very detailed battle scene on a 10-foot by 32-foot canvas, yet he never completed the piece. His later Moroccan pieces captured the colorful and daily lives of the local Arab communities and not the war. In demand by his European audiences, he painted a host of realistic portraits, which included women in exotic costumes, bare-chested young men, snake-charmers, and magicians. In the summer of 1869, he settled in Paris for almost a year, seeking a wider audience for his art and an art dealer. In 1870 he painted "The Spanish Wedding," which sold for 70,000 francs, a huge amount of money at that time. He returned to Paris for a second time. In 1872, he made a third trip to Morocco. He loved the light and vivid colors of the area. By 1874 he had returned to Italy. Among his other works are "Marroquíes," "La Odalisca," "Viejo Desnudo al Sol," and a portrait of his wife. He mastered and improved many techniques, including watercolors, oil-on-canvas, and etchings. Several critics have compared his pieces to those of Francisco de Goya. In 1867 he married Cecilia, the daughter of Federico de Madrazo, a remarkable portraitist, and director of the Prado Museum. He died suddenly from the complications of malaria at age 36. His style of art faded in popularity with the rise of Impressionism. In 2018 a collection of his works, which were on loan from private collectors and major museums, including the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona and Museo Fortuny in Venice, was presented in an exhibition at Prado Museum in Madrid. He is not to be confused with his son Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo, the fashion designer.

Painter. He was a Spanish painter of the 19th century. Born Mariano Fortuny y Marsal, he came from humble beginnings, with both parents dying by the time he was age 12 and a grandfather being his care giver. By the age of nine, his talent was recognized by a local patron. After relocating to Barcelona in 1852, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1857 he earned a two-year scholarship to Rome, where he studied drawing under Spanish and Italian artists. In 1859 he was commissioned by the Spanish government to paint a scene from the six-month Spanish-Moroccan War of 1859. He traveled to Morocco twice, eventually starting "La Batalla de Tetuán," a very detailed battle scene on a 10-foot by 32-foot canvas, yet he never completed the piece. His later Moroccan pieces captured the colorful and daily lives of the local Arab communities and not the war. In demand by his European audiences, he painted a host of realistic portraits, which included women in exotic costumes, bare-chested young men, snake-charmers, and magicians. In the summer of 1869, he settled in Paris for almost a year, seeking a wider audience for his art and an art dealer. In 1870 he painted "The Spanish Wedding," which sold for 70,000 francs, a huge amount of money at that time. He returned to Paris for a second time. In 1872, he made a third trip to Morocco. He loved the light and vivid colors of the area. By 1874 he had returned to Italy. Among his other works are "Marroquíes," "La Odalisca," "Viejo Desnudo al Sol," and a portrait of his wife. He mastered and improved many techniques, including watercolors, oil-on-canvas, and etchings. Several critics have compared his pieces to those of Francisco de Goya. In 1867 he married Cecilia, the daughter of Federico de Madrazo, a remarkable portraitist, and director of the Prado Museum. He died suddenly from the complications of malaria at age 36. His style of art faded in popularity with the rise of Impressionism. In 2018 a collection of his works, which were on loan from private collectors and major museums, including the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona and Museo Fortuny in Venice, was presented in an exhibition at Prado Museum in Madrid. He is not to be confused with his son Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo, the fashion designer.

Bio by: Linda Davis