An Ecclesiastic

This cosmopolitan Catalan painter visited Paris and London and worked at Portici near Naples during the last year of his life. His late works reflect an interest in light, a distinctive use of color, and an awareness of current international trends, including the influence of Japanese art on the West. This astonishing image may reflect the influence of Francisco Goya (1746-1828), a Spanish artist whom Fortuny revered. This fluidly painted and sharply caricatural depiction of a portly cleric is also in keeping with Goya's biting satirical eye and spontaneous late manner.