Jerónimo Antonio Gil and the Idea of the Spanish Enlightenment

398 Pages·2017·8.92 MB·English

by  Kelly Donahue-Wallace

art history latin america D xamining the career of a largely
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a establishes Jerónimo Antonio Gil as
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Spanish and Mexican art. The author
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shows that the first official art acad-
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“A fresh, original reinterpretation of the renowned Spanish artist and founder the efforts of a man immersed within
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of the Royal Academy of San Carlos in Mexico, Jerónimo Antonio Gil. It capti- the complicated culture and politics
of the Spanish empire.
vates and challenges the reader in equal measure and sets a new benchmark for
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Gil’s amply documented life offers
future studies on artists, aesthetics, and the Spanish Enlightenment.”
a rich opportunity to study an
—susan deans-smith, coeditor of J eighteenth-century artist in his full
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Race and Classification: The Case of Mexican America d environment. Kelly Donahue-Wallace
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shows Gil not just as an academic and
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oód a servant of the empire, but as a per-

fnt son, one who bought and sold ancient
“Based on impressive research, Kelly Donahue-Wallace successfully charts h
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h e coins and medals, wrote a book, ingra-
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Jerónimo Antonio Gil’s activities in Spain and Mexico. The book provides em tiated himself to important people,

a rich contextual background for understanding Gil’s trajectory, the way he S made friends with some, and fought
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carefully crafted his own persona to gain a place among Spain’s community a with others.
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of ilustrados, and the challenges he faced when appointed Mexico’s principal A The author examines Gil as an art-
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s ist in Spain and New Spain, tracing his
engraver of the Royal Mint and director general of the new Royal Academy of h
the Three Noble Arts of San Carlos of New Spain. This is an important book En education, entry into professional life,
appointment to the Mexico City mint,
tracing the transatlantic journey of one of Spain’s key Enlightenment royal nt
lo and foundation of the Royal Acad-
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functionaries.” g emy of the Three Noble Arts of San
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Carlos. She analyzes the archival and
—ilona katzew, author of tei
o visual materials he left behind, and,
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Casta Painting: Images of Race in Eighteenth-Century Mexico
m most importantly, she considers the
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e ideas, philosophies, and principles of
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how Gil responded to them. Although
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ulty and colleagues he brought to his
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academy, Gil would leave a lasting
influence on the Mexican art scene as
kelly donahue-wallace is a pro- isbn 978-0-8263-5734-2
fessor of art history at the University of Jerónimo Antonio Gil local artists continued to benefit from
North Texas. She is the author Art and 90000 his legacy at the Mexican academy.

and the
Architecture in Viceregal Latin America, university of new mexico press
1521–1821 (UNM Press). unmpress.com 800-249-7737 9 780826 357342 > Idea of the Spanish Enlightenment
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Jerónimo Antonio Gil
and the Idea of the Spanish Enlightenment

Jerónimo Antonio Gil

and the
Idea of the Spanish Enlightenment
Kelly Donahue-Wallace
university of new mexico press n albuquerque
© 2017 by the University of New Mexico Press
All rights reserved. Published 2016
Printed in the United States of America
22 21 20 19 18 17 1 2 3 4 5 6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Donahue-Wallace, Kelly, 1968– author.
Title: Jerónimo Antonio Gil and the idea of the Spanish Enlightenment /
Kelly Donahue-Wallace.
Description: Albuquerque : University of New Mexico Press, 2017. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016015371 (print) | LCCN 2016024279 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780826357342 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780826357359 (electronic)
Subjects: LCSH: Gil, Jerónimo Antonio, 1732–1798. | Gil, Jerónimo Antonio,
1732–1798—Psychology. | Engravers—Spain—Biography. | Enlightenment—Spain.
Classification: LCC NE702.G55 D66 2017 (print) | LCC NE702.G55 (ebook) |
DDC 737.092—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016015371
Cover illustration: Rafael Ximeno y Planes, Jerónimo Antonio Gil, 1796. Reproduced by
permission from the National Institute of Fine Arts, Mexico City.
Designed by Felicia Cedillos
Composed in Minion Pro 10.5/14.5
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations vii
Acknowledgments xiii
A Note on Translations, Names, Values, and Measurements xv
Introduction. The Idea of Jerónimo Antonio Gil 1
Chapter 1. The Education of Jerónimo Antonio Gil 33
Chapter 2. Madrid, 1758–1768 65
Chapter 3. Madrid, 1768–1778 115
Chapter 4. The Engraving School at the Mexican Mint 169
Chapter 5. The Royal Academy of the Three Noble Arts of
San Carlos 213
Chapter 6. The San Carlos Academy, the Being and
Essence of a Public School, and the Hijos del País 251
Chapter 7. The Museum of Jerónimo Antonio Gil 283
Postscript 303
Notes 307
Bibliography 349
Index 365
v

ILLUSTRATIONS
I.1. Rafael Ximeno y Planes, Jerónimo Antonio Gil, 1796 2
I.2. Rafael Ximeno y Planes, Manuel Tolsá, ca. 1795–1797 4
I.3. Fernando Selma after Anton Rafael Mengs, Pedro Rodríguez
de Campomanes, 1772 9
I.4. Fernando Selma after Tomás Suria, Jerónimo Antonio Gil, 1793 10
I.5. Manuel de Rueda, Hatches and Cross-Hatches, 1761 13
I.6. B. I. Prevost after H. Gravelot, Memoire, 1791 15
I.7. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Roman Coins, 1773 16
I.8. Tomás Francisco Prieto, Medal for the Madrid Proclamation
of Charles III, 1759 17
I.9. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Muestra de las letras fundidas en
las matrices hechas de orden del rey Nuestro Señor para la
imprenta real, 1774 19
I.10. José Andrade after Juan Claudio Aznar de Polanco,
Letters, 1719 20
I.11. Francisco Dumaine, Jerónimo Antonio Gil, 1867 23
1.1. Tomás López after Ventura Rodríguez, Map of Madrid, 1762 35
1.2. Juan Bernabé Palomino after Juan Milla, East Facade of
the Royal Palace, ca. 1790 36
1.3. Felipe de Castro, King Ataulfo, ca. 1750 39
1.4. Luis González Velázquez, Mercury and Argos, 1753 40
1.5. Jose Gómez de Navia, Drawing Room, 1781 41
1.6. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Fray Joseph Joaquín Benegassi y
Luxán, 1754 43
1.7. Juan Bernabé Palomino after Antonio González Velázquez,
Allegory of Copperplate Printing, 1756 46
1.8. Juan Bernabé Palomino after Antonio González Velázquez,
Allegory of Medal Coining, 1756 50
vii
viii 1.9. Hermenegildo Ugarte, The Toledo Bridge over
the Manzanares River, 1756 52
1.10. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Suintila Expels the Byzantines, 1756 55
i
l
l 1.11. Manuel Salvador Carmona after Antonio González Ruiz,
u
st Tomás Francisco Prieto, ca. 1782 56
r
a 1.12. Tomás Francisco Prieto, Ferdinand VI, 1752 57
t
i
o 1.13. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Arms of the Royal Academy of
n
s Fine Arts of San Fernando, 1756 59
2.1. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Medal for the Madrid Proclamation of
Charles III, 1759 68
2.2. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Medal for the Congregation of
the Ave María, 1760 69
2.3. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Antonio Miranda, Monastery of
Covadonga, 1759 (1792 restrike) 70
2.4. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Fray Enrique Flórez, 1760 71
2.5. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, The Israelites Defeated by
the Philistines, 1759–1761 73
2.6. Manuel Muntaner after Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Samson Breaks
the Shackles with Which the Philistines Bound Him, 1761 74
2.7. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Tomás Francisco Prieto, Medals
for the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, 1760 76
2.8. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Tomás Francisco Prieto, Medals
for the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, 1760 77
2.9. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Tomás Francisco Prieto, Medals
for the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, 1760 77
2.10. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Frontispiece, 1761 82
2.11. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Frontispiece, 1767 84
2.12. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Mariano Salvador Maella,
Resurrection, 1775 85
2.13. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Charles III, 1762 87
2.14. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, 1762 88
2.15. Jerónimo Antonio Gil and Antonio Espinosa after
Enrique Flórez, Map of Hispania Lusitania, 1758 89
2.16. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Empress Isabella, 1760 90
2.17. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Ambrosio de Morales, 1765 91
2.18. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Coins, 1773 92
2.19. Antonio González Ruiz, Ignacio de Hermosilla, 1760 94
2.20. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Ignacio de Hermosilla,
Ruins of Talavera la Vieja, 1766 95
2.21. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Diego Díaz, Arab Coins, 1767 97
2.22. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Diego Díaz, Arabic Inscription, 1768 98
2.23. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Parangona Type, 1787 102 ix
2.24. Francisco Javier de Santiago Palomares, Letters, 1776 108
2.25. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Type Proof, after 1765 110
i
l
2.26. Francisco Javier de Santiago Palomares, Letter Samples, 1768 111 l
u
3.1. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Hebraic Type, 1787 118 st
r
3.2. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Domingo de Aguirre, a
t
i
View of the Plaza of San Antonio, 1773 119 o
n
3.3. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Antonio Carnicero, Disembarkation s
of Spanish Soldiers at the Port of La Concepción in Chile, 1770 121
3.4. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Romual Camino,
Burgos Cathedral, 1771 122
3.5. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Subterranean Chapel of
Santa Eulalia, 1775 123
3.6. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Inscriptions from the Alhambra, 1787 127
3.7. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Fountain Called the Pillar of the
Emperor in the Alhambra, 1787 128
3.8. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Tombs of King Philip I and
Queen Juana, 1787 129
3.9. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Interior Elevation of
the Cathedral of Córdoba, 1787 130
3.10. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after José de Hermosilla,
Frontispiece: Entry to the Alhambra in Granada, 1787 132
3.11. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Lateral View of the Alhambra, 1787 133
3.12. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Medal of Juan de Herrera, 1771 134
3.13. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Altar of San Julián, 1772 135
3.14. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Benito Bails, Diagram, 1776 137
3.15. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Anatomy Illustration, 1775 139
3.16. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Don Quixote Defeats the
Mirror Knight, 1777 141
3.17. José del Castillo, The Landlord, Accompanied by a
Boy and Two Girls, Knights Don Quixote, 1780 142
3.18. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after José del Castillo,
The Landlord, Accompanied by a Boy and Two Girls,
Knights Don Quixote, 1780 143
3.19. Jerónimo Antonio Gil after Isidro Carnicero,
Phoenician Coins, 1772 144
3.20. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Phoenician Coins, 1772 145
3.21. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Birth of Prince Carlos
Clemente, 1771 146
3.22. Jerónimo Antonio Gil, Medal for the Establishment of
the Colonies of the Sierra Morena, 1774 148