Ricardo de Madrazo (1852-1917): dibujos y acuarelas

From 13 October 2026 to 17 January 2027, the Museo del Prado is hosting for the first time an exhibition dedicated exclusively to the youngest son of Federico de Madrazo, the least known member of the family dynasty. The exhibition primarily brings together his works on paper, alongside a selection of his notebooks, drawings and watercolours.

Recent acquisitions made by the Museum over the last few years have made it possible to structure this exhibition, curated by Pedro J. Martínez Plaza from the 19th-Century Painting Collection.

Through the notebooks, drawings and watercolours, the exhibition aims to show the public the diversity of Ricardo de Madrazo's artistic output, ranging from copies of old master paintings to Orientalism and genre scenes, which were the result of his numerous travels across Spain, Europe and North Africa.

Ricardo de Madrazo y Garreta (Madrid, 1852–1917) was the youngest son of the celebrated painter Federico de Madrazo and a member of one of the most influential artistic dynasties in 19th-century Spanish painting. He grew up in an environment deeply tied to art, surrounded by the creative endeavours of his father and his siblings Raimundo and Cecilia.

His work focused principally on genre painting, landscape and Orientalist themes, inspired by his travels in North Africa and his interest in Mediterranean cultures. His paintings are notable for their luminous palette, loose brushwork and evocative atmosphere, moving away in part from the academic portraiture that characterised his father's work.