José Martí y Monsó (4 January 1840, Valencia - 14 December 1912, Valladolid) was a Spanish painter, art professor, researcher and museum official. He was considered an expert on Castilian art and the history of Holy Week in Valladolid.

Biography[edit]

He moved to Madrid at an early age and enrolled at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, where his instructors were Luis Ferrant [es] and Federico de Madrazo.^[1] While there, he also took private lessons in the studios of Antonio Gómez Cros [es]. After 1860, he was a regular participant in the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. In 1864, he won honorable mention for his depiction of an episode from the Esquilache Riots, followed by a third class medal in 1866 for his work "The Grape Harvest".^[1]

After 1873, he combined his work as an artist with the role of professor when he became Director of the "Escuela de Artes y Oficios de Valladolid". He was also chosen to be curator of the art collection at the Museo de Valladolid [es] and, the following year, took over as Director of the Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes;^[2] a position he held until his death. In 1900, he was elected a member of the "Real Academia de Bellas Artes de la Purísima Concepción".^[3]

He was also the author of Catálogo provisional del Museo de Pintura y Escultura de Valladolid (1874) and Estudios histórico-artísticos relativos a Valladolid (1898-1901).^[1] In addition, he was a contributor to Castilla artística e histórica, a bulletin from the "Sociedad Castellana de Excursiones", established by Narciso Alonso Cortés [es] in 1903. A plaza in Valladolid has been named in his honor.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Media related to José Martí y Monsó at Wikimedia Commons

• Works by Martí @ the Biblioteca Digital de Castilla y León
• Catálogo provisional del Museo de Pintura y Escultura de Valladolid, Full text @ Google Books.