El mercado de la pintura española en Estados Unidos en las primeras décadas del siglo XIX

Abstract

In the United States, the phenomenon of art collecting grew in the second half of the 19th century, collections having been relatively small in number in the early decades of the century. This article analyses the arrival of Richard W. Meade’s sizeable collection in the American art market, one that he amassed during his time in Spain between 1804 and 1820. Many of the paintings it contains were the work of Spanish baroque artists. In taking an inventory of its heritage and looking at the catalogues of various auctions, an analysis is offered of the means by which the collection came together and the contribution it made it in launching the American market for European and Spanish art in particular.