# Felipe de Castro
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Felipe_de_Castro
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Felipe_de_Castro.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felipe_de_Castro
> Source revision: 1335211860
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{Short description|Spanish sculptor and teacher}}
[[File:Gregorio ferro-felipe de castro.jpg|thumb|200px|Felipe de Castro; portrait by [Gregorio Ferro](/source/Gregorio_Ferro)]]
thumb|215px|King Ferdinand VI,
at the Royal Palace
'''Felipe de Castro''' (c. 1711 in [Noya](/source/Noia) – 25 August 1775, in [Madrid](/source/Madrid)) was a Spanish sculptor. He was among the first to introduce the [Neoclassical](/source/Neoclassical_sculpture) style to Spain, and served as sculptor to King [Ferdinand VI](/source/Ferdinand_VI_of_Spain).
== Life and works ==
According to the art historian, [Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez](/source/Juan_Agust%C3%ADn_Ce%C3%A1n_Berm%C3%BAdez), he was born in 1711.[Bédat, Claude, [https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=3311133 «Veintinueve dibujos del escultor Felipe de Castro (+ 1775)»], ''Academia. Boletín de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando'', 31 (1970), pp. 33-53.]{{efn|Some sources{{which|date=January 2026}} give his year of birth as 1704.}} He began his studies in Noya, then went to [Santiago de Compostela](/source/Santiago_de_Compostela), where he studied with some teachers of little note.[Ceán Bermúdez, Juan Agustín, ''Diccionario histórico de los más ilustres profesores de las Bellas Artes en España'', Madrid, 1800, vol.III.]
The year 1724 found him in Portugal, from where he went to [Seville](/source/Seville) where he was employed in the workshop of [Pedro Duque y Cornejo](/source/Pedro_Duque_y_Cornejo). There, he created altarpieces for the {{ill|Church of El Salvador (Seville)|es|Iglesia del Salvador (Sevilla)|lt=Church of El Salvador}}. In 1734, he went to Rome, at his own expense, to work in collaboration with {{ill|Giuseppe Rusconi|it}} and [Filippo della Valle](/source/Filippo_della_Valle). He also met with [Antonio Rafael Mengs](/source/Antonio_Rafael_Mengs).
In 1739, he won the first prize for sculpture from the [Accademia di San Luca](/source/Accademia_di_San_Luca); becoming a member there, as well as the [Pontifical Academy of Arcadia](/source/Pontifical_Academy_of_Arcadia). When Ferdinand VI became King of Spain in 1747, he returned home and was appointed personal sculptor to the King. Two years after that, he and {{ill|Juan Domingo Olivieri|es}} were put in charge of sculptural decorations for the [Royal Palace of Madrid](/source/Royal_Palace_of_Madrid). The work involved representations of Spain's ninety-four previous kings. Over a dozen sculptors worked under their direction, including [Luis Salvador Carmona](/source/Luis_Salvador_Carmona) and [Alejandro Carnicero](/source/Alejandro_Carnicero). Most of the statues have since been redistributed to various parks and gardens.[Martín González, Juan José, ''Escultura barroca en España, 1600-1770'', Madrid, Cátedra, 1983, {{ISBN|84-376-0392-7}}]
His main personal assignment during his tenure with the King involved making portraits, notably of the King and his wife, [Bárbara de Braganza](/source/B%C3%A1rbara_de_Braganza). He also made two marble busts of the monarchs which adorn their tombs at the [Convento de las Salesas Reales](/source/Convento_de_las_Salesas_Reales_(Madrid)). His portrait bust of fray [Martín Sarmiento](/source/Mart%C3%ADn_Sarmiento), (previously misidentified as [Benito Jerónimo Feijoo](/source/Benito_Jer%C3%B3nimo_Feij%C3%B3o_y_Montenegro)), preserved at the Real Academia, along with a bust of [Alfonso Clemente de Aróstegui](/source/Alfonso_Clemente_de_Ar%C3%B3stegui), both are excellent examples of his efforts to revitalize the styling of busts from the baroque to the neoclassic forms.[{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Castro, Felipe de|url=https://www.academiacolecciones.com/esculturas/mostrar-autores.php?id=castro-felipe-de|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=4 January 2021|website=Academia Colecciones|language=es}}]
Although of secondary importance to sculpting, he was also known as a teacher. During his years with the King, he participated in creating the [Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando](/source/Real_Academia_de_Bellas_Artes_de_San_Fernando), and was named the Director of Sculpture there when it opened in 1752. To assist him with his teaching, he translated several texts on sculpting from Italian. His classes there were said to be extremely popular. In 1763, he became the General Director. One of his best known students was the engraver, [medallist](/source/medallist) and [typographer](/source/typographer), [Jerónimo Antonio Gil](/source/Jer%C3%B3nimo_Antonio_Gil).
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{commons category-inline|Felipe de Castro}}
* [https://www.delamano.eu/artist/felipe-de-castro-attributed-to/ Scholarly articles] in English about Felipe de Castro. Attributed to both in web and [https://www.delamano.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/7-CASTRO.pdf PDF] @ the [https://www.delamano.eu/ Spanish Old Masters Gallery]
{{ACArt|country=ES}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro, Felipe de}}
Category:1710s births
Category:1775 deaths
Category:Spanish sculptors
Category:Spanish male sculptors
Category:Sculptors from Galicia (Spain)
Category:People from Noia (comarca)
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Felipe de Castro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felipe_de_Castro) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felipe_de_Castro?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.