ANTONIO GONZÁLEZ RUIZ (Corella (Navarra), 1711 - Madrid, 1788)Estudio de manos

Black pencil on blue laid paper. 14 x 22,3 cm. Signed with anagram in the lower right corner. A disciple of Houasse in Madrid between 1726 and 1730, he moved to Paris, Rome and Naples to complete his training. Returning in 1737, he came into contact with the court, working for the Palace and being part of the Preparatory Board for the foundation of the Royal Academy of Noble Arts from 1744. He married a daughter of the engraver Juan Bernabé Palomino, whose influence marked his youthful work. In 1756 he was appointed Pintor de Cámara. During his maturity, he focused on the Academy, where he became Director General in 1769, and on the Santa Barbara Tapestry Factory, for which he supplied cartoons. He was a skilled portraitist and a prolific draftsman. His work reveals a remarkable quality and combines late Baroque with the classicism of Mengs, placing him above many of his contemporaries. The numerous drawings recently identified demonstrate his mastery and a clear French influence.