The seventh of February marks the second centenary of the birth of one of Portugal’s best-loved artists. Francisco Augusto Metrass went from a struggling student to a nationally acclaimed artist who would tell Portugal’s history through his artistic abilities, with many of his works still widely admired today.
Metrass’ story shows the constant struggle artists face to gain recognition for their talent, but, with passion and dedication, this boy from Lisbon eventually managed to catch the eye of art lovers and even the king himself.
Born in 1825 in Lisbon to a wealthy family of Neapolitan origin, Francisco Augusto Metrass knew from an early age that he was gifted with an artistic flair. He first studied at the Lisbon Academy of Fine Arts as a voluntary student at the tender age of 11 despite the disapproval of his father, who wanted him to take up a career in commerce. Keen to expand his knowledge and broaden his horizons, Francisco moved to Rome in 1844. It was in the Italian capital where he would study alongside the German-born painters Johann Friedrich Overbeck and Peter Von Cornelius, as well as fellow Portuguese artist Luís Pereira de Meneses, 2nd Viscount of Meneses. While in Rome, Francisco was devoted to learning from Johann Overbeck, who taught him techniques and theory for interpreting art.
One of Francisco’s first paintings, Jesus Welcoming Children, was created in 1846 and is housed today in the Museum of Aveiro. Looking for inspiration, Francisco travelled around Italy, visiting Florence and Bologna before eventually returning to his beloved homeland, Portugal, via Paris.
Upon his return to Portugal, Francisco exhibited his work at Palácio dos Lumiares a S. Roque, which turned out to be a complete and utter failure: he was met with little to no interest by critics and the public alike. Downhearted, Francisco decided to sell his paintings and use the funds to open a “portrait talking house” in Cais do Sodré. Still searching for fame, Francisco was, yet again, forced to sell his work, but this time to an auction broker, possibly in the hopes of a better deal.
Using the funds he raised from the auction sale, he travelled to Paris, where he would stay until 1853, producing a series of paintings with historical themes that would later come to national prominence in Portugal. Honing his craft and perfecting his techniques, Francisco returned to Lisbon, where he set out to make his big break. Having studied Rubens, Rembrandt and Van Dyck while away, Francisco now had all the tools he needed for success, and it wasn’t long before art collectors, and even the king himself, began to recognise Francisco for his outstanding work.
When King Ferdinand purchased the painting Camões in the Macau Grotto it arguably put Francisco’s name in the spotlight. The painting depicting Portuguese poet Luís Vaz de Camões was later acquired by the state at the Conde do Ameal auction in 1921. Today, the painting is housed in the Chiado Museum in Lisbon. With this success, Francisco became a professor of historical painting at the Academy of Fine Arts and later collaborated on Revista Contemporânea de Portugal e Brasil (1859–1865), a contemporary magazine.
Some of Francisco’s most famous works include: O Juízo de Salomão (1850), Enterro de Cristo (1850), Inês de Castro Pressentindo os Assassinos (1855) and Só Deus! (1856). He also created some oriental sketches, including one of the Fado singer A Severa in c.1861, however these sketches proved unfavourable to the paying public.
Sadly, Francisco’s fame was short-lived. On the Feast of St. Valentine, 14 February 1861, Francisco Augusto Metrass died of tuberculosis on the island of Madeira. He was 36 years old.
While Francisco’s life and fame were short, his legacy lives on through his artworks, which have now become museum pieces, carefully preserved for future generations and eliciting more praise for the artist in death than during his lifetime.
Mian image: Francisco Augusto Metrass (1825–1861) c.1861 [Public Domain]