Alonso Miguel de Tovar
Encyclopedia
Alonso Miguel de Tovar, sometimes (less correctly) called Tobar (1678 - 1758) was a Spanish
baroque
painter
, appointed court painter
by Philip V
in 1723.
, near Aracena
. in 1678, to a secondary and empoverished branch of the illustrious Tovar family, of the Lords of Tovar
, later Marquesses of Berlanga. He trained in Seville under Juan Antonio Ossorio and Juan Antonio Fajardo, having executed numerous religious paintings, including Our Lady of Consolation with Saints Francis, James and a Clerical Donor (1720), in the Seville
Cathedral, and St Francis Receiving the Stigmata (c. 1720), in the Royal Academy of San Fernando, Madrid
. He was named pintor de cámara to King Felipe IV in April 1729, taking the place of Teodoro Ardemans
. In both of these the influence of Murillo is discernible: the colouring is vivid and the drawing precise, if slightly rigid, and both works show what has been called a gentle and uncomplicated piety, differing to some extent from the tradition of Spanish religious painting
.
He painted a canvas of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo in 1720 for a church in Seville. He returned to Madrid
in 1734, where he died.
, taking the place of Teodoro Ardemans. There he collaborated with Jean Ranc
, probably painting replicas of the latter's portraits. His own portraits include Portrait of a Young Girl (1732), now in Meiningen
, at Schloss Elisabethenburg. In 1733 he travelled with the court when it returned to Madrid
, and he may have worked as an assistant to Louis-Michel van Loo
. Tovar also probably painted the theme of the Holy Shepherd, popular with Sevillian artists of his time. Of the paintings of the subject attributed to him, however, only the one in the church at Cortelazor, near Aracena, signed in 1748, is considered authentic.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, appointed court painter
Court painter
A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
by Philip V
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
in 1723.
Early career
Alonso Miguel de Tovar was born in Higuera de la SierraHiguera de la Sierra
Higuera de la Sierra is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. , it has a population of 1,437 inhabitants.-External links:* - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía...
, near Aracena
Aracena
Aracena is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, south-western Spain. , the city has a population of 7,612 inhabitants.-Main sights:...
. in 1678, to a secondary and empoverished branch of the illustrious Tovar family, of the Lords of Tovar
Tobar
Tobar is a village in the North of Spain. It is located in the province of Burgos, within the Castile and León region. It is 35 km northwest ofBurgos.-General details:...
, later Marquesses of Berlanga. He trained in Seville under Juan Antonio Ossorio and Juan Antonio Fajardo, having executed numerous religious paintings, including Our Lady of Consolation with Saints Francis, James and a Clerical Donor (1720), in the Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
Cathedral, and St Francis Receiving the Stigmata (c. 1720), in the Royal Academy of San Fernando, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. He was named pintor de cámara to King Felipe IV in April 1729, taking the place of Teodoro Ardemans
Teodoro Ardemans
Teodoro de Ardemans was a Spanish architect and painter.He was a disciple of the painter Claudio Coello, although he mainly practiced architecture; the municipality of Toledo named him master of the Cathedral of Toledo. In 1702, King Philip V of Spain named him to succeed José del Olmo as the...
. In both of these the influence of Murillo is discernible: the colouring is vivid and the drawing precise, if slightly rigid, and both works show what has been called a gentle and uncomplicated piety, differing to some extent from the tradition of Spanish religious painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
He painted a canvas of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo in 1720 for a church in Seville. He returned to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in 1734, where he died.
Career as court painter
Tovar was appointed court painter in 1729, when the Spanish court moved to SevilleSeville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, taking the place of Teodoro Ardemans. There he collaborated with Jean Ranc
Jean Ranc
Jean Ranc was a French painter, mainly active in portraiture. He trained under his father Antoine Ranc and his father's former student Hyacinthe Rigaud and served in the courts of both Louis XV of France and Philip V of Spain.- Early life:Ranc "the younger" was the son of the renowned provincial...
, probably painting replicas of the latter's portraits. His own portraits include Portrait of a Young Girl (1732), now in Meiningen
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
, at Schloss Elisabethenburg. In 1733 he travelled with the court when it returned to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, and he may have worked as an assistant to Louis-Michel van Loo
Louis-Michel van Loo
Louis-Michel van Loo was a French painter.He studied under his father, the painter Jean-Baptiste van Loo, at Turin and Rome, and he won a prize at the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris in 1725...
. Tovar also probably painted the theme of the Holy Shepherd, popular with Sevillian artists of his time. Of the paintings of the subject attributed to him, however, only the one in the church at Cortelazor, near Aracena, signed in 1748, is considered authentic.