Currently not on view
Three figures,
19th century
formerly attributed to Leonardo Alenza y Nieto, Spanish, 1807 - 1845
Information
19th century
formerly attributed to Leonardo Alenza y Nieto, Spanish, 1807 - 1845
Leonardo Alenza y Nieto (1807-1845) followed Goya and imitated his Caprichos (1796-1797) and mastered a fluid and rapid pen stroke similar to Goya’s own. Alenza left behind many works that explored the same motifs as Goya, but he never intended for his work to be confused with Goya’s and usually signed his works with a strong, flourished “A” monogram. Due to this and the amount of reproduction of both Alenza and Goya’s works after their deaths have caused confusion when attributing the drawings.
Fifteen drawings at Princeton were previously attributed to Alenza by Frank Jewett Mather, Jr. in the June 1944 Bulletin of the Department of Art and Archaeology, however, in the 1950s, Xavier de Salas made notations on the mats of the entire set that it was his opinion that these were not created by Alenza. Salas believed that they were created by a late nineteenth century artist whose style closely copied Goya’s Caprichos, but used the figures in new compositions. The Princeton drawings also have no captions to explain them, which was often included in Alenza drawings. Finally, the Princeton drawings use short paralleled lines to indicate shading, which is a technique often used in engravings and etchings indicating that these drawings may have been copies from prints, which lead Lisa A. Banner to attribute them to anonymous followers of Goya.
Adapted from: Lisa A. Banner, Spanish Drawings in the Princeton University Art Museum, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 2012, pp. 76-78).
- Frits Lugt, Les marques de collections de dessins & d'estampes: marques estampillées et écrites de collections particulières et publiques: marques de marchands, de monteurs et d'imprimeurs: cachets de vente d'artistes décédés: marques de graveurs apposées après le tirage des planches : timbres d'édition, etc., (Amsterdam: Vereenigde drukkerijen; La Haye: Nijhoff, 1921)., Lugt no. 3561
- Lisa A. Banner, Spanish Drawings in the Princeton University Art Museum, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 2012)., p. 5, cat. no. 2; p. 6 (illus.); p. 7 (verso illus.)
