FRANCISCO

PRADILLA (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," " Doti Alfonso the Warrior," and " Don Alfonso the Scholar." He became member of the Berlin Academy in 1892 .