Born in
Rome, he was the son of
José de Madrazo y Agudo, the painter and former Director of the
Prado Museum, and Isabel Kuntz Valentini. Federico's grandfather on his mother side was
Tadeusz Kuntze, a Polish painter. His brothers were
Luis de Madrazo, a painter,
Pedro de Madrazo, an art critic and
Juan de Madrazo, an architect. Among his children were
Ricardo de Madrazo, also a painter,
Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta and
Cecilia de Madrazo who married the great Orientalist artist,
Marià Fortuny. The Madrazo family have been described as one of the most important painting dynasties, who literally dominated 19th-century painting in Spain. He received his first instruction from his father. While still attending the classes at the
Royal Academy of San Fernando, he painted his first picture,
The Resurrection of Christ (1829), which was purchased by Queen Christina. Not long afterwards he painted
Achilles in his Tent, and subsequently presented to the academy
The Continence of Scipio, which secured him admission as a member "for merit". While decorating the palace of Vista Alegre he took up
portraiture. In 1832 he went to
Paris, where he studied under
Franz Winterhalter, and painted portraits of Baron Taylor and
Ingres. In 1837 he was commissioned to produce a picture for the gallery at
Versailles, and painted "
Godfrey de Bouillon proclaimed King of
Jerusalem". The artist then returned to Rome, where he worked at various subjects, sacred and profane. Then he painted
Maria Christina in the Dress of a Nun by the Bedside of Ferdinand III (1843),
Queen Isabella,
The Duchess of Medinaceli, and
The Countess de Vilches (1845–47), besides a number of portraits of the Spanish aristocracy, some of which were sent to the
exhibition of 1855. He received the
Legion of Honour in 1846. He was made a corresponding member of the
Académie des Beaux-Arts on 10 December 1853, and in 1873, on the death of
Schnorr, the painter, he was chosen foreign member. Three years after his father left office, he also became Director of the
Museo del Prado and president of the
Academy of San Fernando. He originated in Spain the production of art
reviews and
journals, such as
El Artista,
El Renacimiento, and
El Semanario pintoresco. He died in Madrid. His brother,
Luis de Madrazo, was also known as a painter, chiefly by his
Burial of Saint Cecilia (1855). Federico's best-known pupils were his sons,
Raimundo and
Ricardo. ==Selected paintings==