Portrait of José Luciano de Castro

Portrait was one of the most frequent themes throughout Malhoa’s career, balancing between two types: Luminism and Tenebrism, from which may result his success as he reached all audiences while promoting an efficient answer for the variations in taste. It was with portrait that he obtained some of his triumphs and international awards, bearing evidence of the influences of masters from the past, such as Velásquez, Frans Hals, Rembrandt ou Murillo, while displaying more modern references, either stylistic or technical. With Malhoa the Luminist trend in the art of portrait ascends to exceptional levels, and it is the most modern side of his production.
While Malhoa was the most prestigious name in painting, José Luciano de Castro (1834-1914) was, around 1900, one of the most influential politicians.