José Alcázar Tejedor, Macero Castellano, 1880, Oil on Canvas

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“Macero Castellano”, José Alcázar Tejedor, 1880

Technique on support: Oil on canvas
Title of the work: “Castilian Macero”
Author: José … Read more “Macero Castellano”, José Alcázar Tejedor, 1880

Technique on support: Oil on canvas
Title of the work: “Castilian Macero”
Author: José Alcázar Tejedor (1850-1907)
Signed and dated in the lower left corner
Year: 1880
Good condition for its age and use / Light restorations
Dimensions: 160 x 120 cm.

Excellent oil on canvas, signed, dated 1880 and located in Rome, work of José Alcázar Tejedor. It represents a macero, the absolute protagonist of the scene, which derives from his clothing and, mainly, because he carries the ceremonial mace. This outfit dates back to medieval times. The original costume is called a tabard. This clothing was worn by monarchs and kings of arms, later passing to the heralds and maceros of courts and city councils. The character's fabrics are a rich red velvet; vibrant colors, gold embroidery\. suggest recognition of the character. He also wears red socks, a doublet and an undershirt.
Different heraldic motifs are represented in this outfit. If it is read as a quartered shield, the reading would be the following: In 1 of Castile: in a field of gules a castle of gold lightened with azure; in 2: of León, in a silver field a lion rampant in purple crowned with gold, armed and lampasado gules. In 3 of Aragón: in a golden field four suits of gules. In 4: quartered in cross of Aragon and the Kingdom of Sicily: 1 and 3, in a golden field four sticks of gules; 2 and 4, in a silver field a sable eagle crowned with gold and marked and gules. These motifs can also be seen on the character's cape, with a border of gold castles on a field of gules.
The character occupies the center of the composition and stands out for the richness of the details in his outfit, contrasting with the architectural background of neutral tones. Warm tones predominate, such as the red of the outfit and the gold of the embroidery. The grayish background highlights the chromatic details even more. The lights and shadows are delicately worked, especially in the folds of the clothing, which contributes to the feeling of volume.
The work demonstrates great realism in the treatment of textures. You can appreciate the softness of velvet, the shine of gold and the hardness of marble. This attention to detail is characteristic of 19th century academic painting.
The young man's posture is slightly relaxed but formal, leaning on the mace. The ceremonial mace is a silver or silver-plated bronze scepter-like ceremonial instrument that ends in a spheroid with crest and relief decorations. Maces date back to the early modern era and were carried by bailiffs (known as maceros) in front of councils and municipal or legislative corporations. It has its origin in the combat maces that were used in the Ancient and Middle Ages, and evoked the memory of the Roman fasces, which were carried by the lictors or executors of justice in front of the praetors, consuls and other authorities of Ancient Rome.
This work belongs to the genre known as casacone painting in Spain, works (generally small format) starring elegant characters from the 18th century, such as "Il Contino" by Marià Fortuny, or musketeers and other characters of baroque inspiration. These works derive from the influence of Velázquez and his contemporaries, both in their setting and in their form, although generally we will find hedonistic and happy themes, far from the baroque theme.
José Alcázar Tejedor (Madrid, 1850 - 1907)
José Alcázar Tejedor was a Spanish painter, born in Madrid, specialized in genre scenes, much of which had religious themes. He developed his training at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid, as a disciple of Federico de Madrazo. Later he expanded his studies in Paris thanks to a pension from the Provincial Council of Madrid. In the French capital he shared a studio with Luis Lafuente, and attended Vicente Palmaroli's workshop. After returning to Spain, in 1883 he received a new pension from the Provincial Council, in this case to continue his training in Rome.
Upon his return, he participated in various national and international exhibitions, obtaining recognitions such as a third class medal at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts of 1881 and a second medal in 1887 at that same exhibition.
In 1896 he took the competitive exams for the chair of the School of Fine Arts of Barcelona, ​​and was finally appointed professor in 1902. In 1907, shortly after his death, the Círculo de Bellas Artes dedicated a tribute exhibition to him. Alcázar Tejedor is currently represented in the Prado Museum, as well as in other public and private collections.
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