A new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York reunites one family's long-separated portraits by Spanish master Francisco de Goya.
In "Goya and the Altamira Family," the Met's much-beloved portrait of Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga, the little boy in the red suit, is on exhibit with his parents and three of his six siblings for the first time in over 200 years. The boy's mother's portrait traditionally hangs in the museum's Robert Lehman wing, while his father's portrait resides in Spain. Organized by former Met curator Xavier F. Salomon, this rare exhibition was made possible through loans from the Banco de España, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and a private collection.
Goya came to know the Altamira family at a pivotal moment in his career, when he was gaining prominence as a pre-eminent court painter. He had painted a series of portraits of the directors of the Banco Nacional de San Carlos (later the Banco de España), one of whom was the Count of Altamira. Comparable to the Rockefellers in the U.S., the Altamiras were important figures in Madrid society. After a successful first portrait, the count then commissioned Goya to paint his other family members.
When the Altamiras suffered financial hardship after the Napoleonic invasion, the family was forced to sell off much of its art collection, but managed to keep the portraits of the countess and several of the siblings. The portrait of the count remained with the Banco de España, where it can be seen only by special permit. Manuel's portrait passed through many hands before arriving at the Met as part of a bequest from the collector Jules Bache.
This "family reunion" of portraits runs through August 3.
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