Conference “Alejandro Loarte: semblanza de un pintor en el Toledo de inicios del siglo XVII” - Alejandro del Pozo Maté - 25th May 2026

We invite you to a lecture by Alejandro del Pozo Maté, whose talk, “Alejandro Loarte: a portrait of a painter in early 17th-century Toledo”, will take place on Monday 25 May 2026 at 6.30 pm in the FUE auditorium. Admission is free and open to all until the FUE auditorium (C/Alcalá, 93, Madrid) reaches full capacity. Prior registration is required using this form. 

This lecture will mark the opening of the lecture series “400 years since the death of Alejandro de Loarte. Studies on Still Life in Spain” (curated by José Luis Cueto Martínez-Pontrémuli), which aims to mark an important anniversary in the history of Spanish art: the 400th anniversary in 2026 of the death of the Toledo-born painter of still lifes and genre paintings, Alejandro de Loarte (c. 1599–Toledo, 12 December 1626). This provides an opportunity to address issues of vital importance in Spanish painting, such as the naturalist style that emerged at the start of the 17th century, a movement in which the Toledo school and the still highly enigmatic figure of Loarte stand out as major protagonists. We therefore propose to open the Loarte 1626–2026 series with an inaugural lecture by the researcher and Doctor of Art History Alejandro del Pozo Maté, who has devoted his thesis to the painter Pedro de Orrente and the artists of his circle – immersed in a rich milieu where an interest in the real and the everyday went hand in hand with an increasingly sensual and colourful technique – whilst also making very recent contributions on painters from Toledo, including new documentary findings on Loarte himself.

Having laid the foundations for the artistic context of the imperial city and provided an overview of Alejandro de Loarte in the first lecture, the subsequent guest speakers—all of whom are recognised specialists in Early Modern painting—will delve deeper into various aspects relating to still-life painting in Spain, whilst also considering the rest of the country and other historical periods. In stark contrast to the traditional view of the still life as a minor genre, studies on this subject in recent years, and exhibitions organised by leading institutions such as the Museo Nacional del Prado – which has increasingly dedicated spaces where still life painting takes centre stage – demonstrate the interest and the excellent opportunity now available to us to explore and debate this genre from fresh perspectives.

For any further enquiries, please contact cai@fuesp.com

More information on future lectures will follow shortly.