Museo Carmen Thyssen

Bernardo Ferrándiz Bádenes was born in Pueblo Nuevo del Mar (Valencia) on 21 July 1835 into a family of fishermen, although one of his biographers, Aldana, states that his father was a medical assistant. He soon developed an artistic vocation and his father enrolled him at the studio of Francisco Martínez Yago. He later entered the San Carlos School of Fine Arts where he was a pupil of Miguel Pou and Montesinos.

In 1855 he moved to Madrid and enrolled at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts where he was a student of Federico de Madrazo, with whom he developed a deep friendship that lasted his lifetime.

In 1860 Ferrándiz went to live in Paris, attended Duret’s workshop and befriended the colony of Spanish painters as well as transgressive French artists such as Renoir. Through his friendship with Zamacois he met Fortuny in 1866. While still based in Paris he took part in the National Exhibitions of Madrid, the Regional Exhibitions of Valencia and the Paris Salons, entering works on topical themes and customs of Valencia and Spain. El viático (“The Viaticum”), Celebrando la toma de Tetuán (“Celebrating the Capture of Tétouan”), El alcalde (“The Mayor”) and Las primicias (“First Fruits”) are the works for which he obtained honorary mentions.

In 1863 Ferrándiz was awarded a travel grant from the Diputación (provincial authorities) of Valencia and remained in Paris until 1868, the year he married Carolina Terán and competed successfully for the post of professor of colour and composition at the San Telmo School of Fine Arts in Malaga. During his Parisian years he produced some of his most celebrated works, such as El tribunal de las aguas de Valencia, painted as an exercise during his stay abroad, and sold works on the Roman market. After arriving in Malaga he played an active role in improving teaching at the school and in the decisions made at the San Telmo Academy of Fine Arts, sparking a certain amount of controversy among the academicians and part of the teaching staff on account of his innovative and progressive ideas.

In 1870 he decorated the ceiling and stage set of the Cervantes theatre in Malaga and invited his close friend Antonio Muñoz Degrain to take part in the project, causing him to move to Malaga. Persecuted for his Republican ideas, he was forced to flee Spain in October 1873 and settled in Rome with Fortuny. He remained there until 1875, when he returned to Malaga and pursued a productive career there.

He was responsible for the establishment of the Malaga circle of painters.

Teresa Sauret Guerrero