The Painter Benito Soriano Murillo 1867

Raimundo de Madrazo painted this portrait of Benito Soriano Murillo in oil on canvas. Madrazo, from a family of artists, depicts his sitter as a man of leisure and culture, a guitar and portfolio resting at his feet. Consider how Madrazo uses the visual language of portraiture to convey Murillo's social standing. The setting is domestic and enclosed, the colour scheme muted and sombre, the figure relaxed. But note the confident gaze, the elegant clothing, and the trappings of artistic life. Madrazo’s painting can be understood through the lens of institutional history. He was, for example, a professor at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. What role did the Academy play in shaping artistic taste in Spain? How did it function as a gatekeeper, determining who gained recognition and success? To answer these questions we can consult a range of sources, from exhibition catalogues and reviews to the personal papers of artists and patrons. Art history reveals how artistic meaning is always a product of its social and institutional context.