Bartolomé Sureda y Miserol

Bartolomé Sureda y Miserol is a powerful oil on canvas portrait created by the Spanish master Francisco Goya between 1803 and 1804. This painting exemplifies Goya’s mature period, positioning him as the preeminent portraitist working within the Spanish court during the turbulent early years of the nineteenth century. The work falls within the important historical window of 1801 to 1825, a time when the artist was refining his technique, moving away from decorative grandeur toward a more penetrating, psychological realism.

The subject, Bartolomé Sureda y Miserol, was a Catalan chemist and engineer who held the crucial position of Director of the Royal Porcelain Factory at Buen Retiro. Goya renders Sureda with austere dignity, capturing his professional intensity through subtle handling of shadow and light. The subject is depicted against a neutral, dark background, a technique Goya frequently employed to minimize distraction and intensify the viewer's focus on the sitter’s expression and posture. While the palette is subdued, the handling of the fabric and the fine details of the sitter's uniform demonstrate the artist's technical prowess in the medium of oil on canvas.

This painting is a significant document of early 19th-century Spanish high society and artistic trends. It currently resides in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a critical example of Goya’s later portraiture style. Due to the historical importance of the artwork and its age, high-quality images and resulting prints are widely available through institutional digitization efforts. Many such museum images enter the public domain, ensuring that this masterful depiction of Bartolomé Sureda y Miserol remains accessible for art historical study globally.