Francisco Goya’s painting, Bartolome Sureda y Miserol, is a portrait of Sureda who was a young and prominent Spanish industrialist known for studying cotton spinning in England. He belonged to a group of like-minded liberal intellectuals and was one of Goya’s friends. The portrait reflects the artist’s intimate response to his friend, which makes it one of his liveliest male portraits.
Created in 1803/1804, the painting is part of the National Gallery of Art collection in Washington DC and is considered public domain. The artwork showcases Goya’s skillful depiction of his friend using vivid colors and lighting effects. Sureda is portrayed wearing an elegant suit with an intense gaze that captures the viewer’s attention.
Aside from its aesthetic value, Bartolome Sureda y Miserol also represents an important historical moment during Spain´s enlightenment era, a time when liberalism began spreading among intellectual circles in Europe.
