1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Pradilla, Francisco

PRADILLA, FRANCISCO (1847-), Spanish painter, was born at Villanueva da Gallago (Saragossa). Having studied first at the Fernando Academy, and then at the Spanish Academy in Rome, of which he was afterwards director, he became the leading historical painter of modern Spain. In 1896 he was appointed director of the Madrid Museum. Though he is best known for such large historical compositions as “Joan the Mad” (gold medal, Paris, 1878), and “The Surrender of Granada” (gold medal, Munich, 1883), in which he discarded the heavy colouring of Laurens for a lighter and more atmospheric key, he has painted many excellent genre pictures in the manner of Fortuny, and some decorative compositions in which he follows the example of Tiepolo. The best of these are his decorations in the Murgo Palace in Madrid. Among his best known works are “ Elopement, ” “ Strand at Vigo, ” “ Procession in Venice, ” “ La Fiorella, ” “Reading on the Balcony, ” “ Don Alfonso the Warrior, ” and “ Don Alfonso the Scholar.” He became member of the Berlin Academy in 1892.