Head of an Old Man

Eduardo Rosales was one of the great painters of 19th-century spanish art; born into a humble family in Madrid, he was soon orphaned. He began his training at the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts and set off for Italy with the little money he had after receiving his first major commission. This oil on canvas captures in great detail the expression and character of an aged face, revealing the profound humanity behind every wrinkle and gaze. It is one of the many portrait studies by this artist that have survived, as this was one of the genres he developed most extensively in his painting.