López Portaña, Vicente (1772-1850)

He began his artistic training as a pupil of Antonio de Villanueva at the San Carlos Academy in Valencia. In Madrid he consolidated his taste for precise, analytical drawing as a method of preliminary study for his paintings. His portraits are respectful and objective, with a personal sense of realism.
Ferdinand VII asked him to be his first court painter. From then on he became the most sought-after painter among the aristocracy and wealthy bourgeoisie of Madrid.
In 1826 he produced his best-known work, the Portrait of the painter Francisco de Goya. A highly skilled draughtsman and painter of textures, he remained active and in full possession of his faculties until a very advanced age, dominating official Madrid portraiture for decades.