"Raimundo de Madrazo" will make its U.S. debut at the Meadows Museum. The exhibition is the first retrospective dedicated to the artist which traces Madrazo’s international career as he became one of the most successful painters of the Belle Époque. Featuring nearly 75 works from major museums as well as private collections, the exhibition follows the artist’s path from his early years in Madrid to the salons of Paris to Gilded Age America.

Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta (1841-1920) was a leading genre painter and society portraitist whose refined interiors, luminous palette, and technical precision made him a favorite among European and American elites. A central figure in Paris’ cosmopolitan art scene, he built a career that bridged academic tradition and the emerging commercial art market.

Although he achieved an uncommon degree of success as a painter, Madrazo’s reputation and legacy receded in the wake of the avant-garde movements that would shape artistic production during the 20th century. This retrospective returns Madrazo to the spotlight, giving long overdue attention to the brilliant career of a talented Spaniard who played a key role in the artistic scene of the 19th century.

The exhibition follows Madrazo’s shift from grand history painting to intimate genre scenes set in opulent interiors, his collaborations with his brother-in-law Fortuny, and the portraits that established and secured his international legacy. Highlights include Madrazo’s charming, small-scale images of modern life, or tableautins; his beguiling portraits of his favorite model, Aline Masson; and the society portraits he painted in Paris and New York. Together, these works testify to his importance as a key figure at the intersection of academic tradition and the avant-garde.

The exhibition will remain on display through June 21.