Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza - Portrait of Father Villalba

Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza (El Ferrol, September 25, 1875 – Madrid, March 17, 1960) was a Spanish painter. In 1922 he became director of the Museo del Prado and member of the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. As director of the Museo del Prado, he was in charge until 1931 when he was obliged to leave the post due to the rise of the republic in Spain. he later became director of the museum a second time after the Spanish Civil War until he died. He played a great role in hiding most of the paintings the museum held during the civil war and later on recuperating them. From 1953 to 1955 he was also director of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

[Oil on canvas, 86 x 100cm]