An exhibition of the forgotten artist Manuel González opened in Granada

In Granada, most of the works of the undeservedly forgotten artist Manuel Gomez-Moreno González (1834-1918) are exhibited for the first time.

Manuel Gomez-Moreno Gonzalez - Exit of the de Boabdil family from the Alhambra

A retrospective of the work is organized by the municipality of his home province, which thus pays tribute to his talent. An exhibition of 74 paintings by Gomez Moreno’s hand can be seen in the Palace of the Counts of Gabia, in Granada, until September 16.

The three main works of the artist - “Reading a letter” (La lectura de la carta), 1876, “San Juan de Dios saves patients of the Royal Hospital in Granada from fire” (San Juan de Dios salvando del incendio a los enfermos del Hospital Real de Granada) and “The Exit of the De Boabdil Family from the Alhambra” (Salida de la familia de Boabdil de la Alhambra), both of 1880. “These are three real jewels,” said Javier Moya Morales, curator of the event.

In 1948, the eldest son of the artist Manuel, a famous historian and archaeologist, organized the first exhibition of his father, who is now considered the best artist of Granada of the 19th century. Most of the paintings are now in private hands, therefore, the exhibition is a rare opportunity to see all the paintings at once.

Gomez-Moreno began his creative activity under the influence of romanticism in the mid-nineteenth century. From a young age, the artist wanted to go to Rome to continue his education, but his personal circumstances and the many children who needed to be fed did not allow him to do this. The artist was given the opportunity to study in the capital of Italy only at the age of 44, and this greatly changed his writing.

For many years, the talented painter worked as a simple drawing teacher. With the advent of new artistic trends that perceived the old school as a kind of evil, the work of Gomez-Moreno began to be forgotten. During his lifetime, the artist never received wide recognition, his talent was appreciated much later.

Anna Sidorova