Rafael Romero de Torres (1865,

Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...

- 29 July 1898, Córdoba) was a Spanish painter, from a family of artists.

Life and work

His father was the painter Rafael Romero Barros. His brothers,

Julio Julio is the Spanish equivalent of the month July and may refer to: *Julio (given name) * Julio (surname) * Júlio de Castilhos, a municipality of the western part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * ''Julio'' (album), a 1983 compilation al ...

and , also became painters. He showed a talent for art an early age, so he was enrolled at the Escuela provincial de Bellas Artes. He was awarded several scholarships, beginning in 1884 with one from the , which enabled him to enroll at the

Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (RABASF; ), located on the Calle de Alcalá in the centre of Madrid, currently functions as a museum and gallery. A public law corporation, it is integrated together with other Spanish royal aca ...

in Madrid. There, he studied sculpture as well as painting. Winning several prizes encouraged him to extend his stay there. In 1885, he was presented with a second scholarship from the Diputación, for his painting ''Sin trabajo'' ("Out of Work", or "Unemployed"), which provided him with sufficient funds to spend three years in Rome. There, he befriended other Spanish artists, including the sculptor,

Mateo Inurria Mateo Inurria Lainosa (25 March 1867, Córdoba - 21 February 1924, Madrid) was a Spanish sculptor. Biography He began his artistic studies in his father's workshop.

, and Marceliano Santa María. In 1945, the latter wrote memoirs, recalling the times he spent with Romero and others at the Antico Caffè Greco. In 1888, he returned to Spain; alternating his residence between Córdoba and Madrid. Much of his work involved socially conscious themes. In 1890, he participated in the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. Quite pleased at having received a second-class medal on his first try, he was disappointed when behind-the-scenes reconsiderations took place, the second-class medal was taken away, it was awarded to someone else, and he was given a third-class medal instead. According to his friend, : "That injustice produced an indescribable impression on him; it dispelled his illusions, killed his hopes and why not say so? It cost him his life."Ricardo de Montis, ''Notas Cordobesas (Recuerdos del pasado)'', Cajasur, 1989 After that, he produced only enough to provide himself with basic necessities. For a time he collaborated with Enrique and Julio; providing illustrations for ', a general interest magazine, but it folded in 1895, after only two years. His neglect eventually led to a decline in his health, and he contracted a disease that led to his death.

References

Brief biography
@ Córdobapedia

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Romero de Torres, Rafael 1865 births 1898 deaths Spanish painters Spanish genre painters Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando alumni Artists from Córdoba, Spain

Life and work

References

Further reading

External links