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own lying in state. The paintings on exhibition, Kundry and Parsifal , should be considered the culmination of the artist’s link to the Wagnerian aesthetic and are, without doubt, Egusquiza’s masterpieces and the most sophisticated representation of Wagnerian iconography in the whole of Spanish art. Egusquiza was already an established artist when he personally met Wagner in 1879, having long been an admirer, and was the only Spanish artist to maintain any kind of relationship with the composer, however sporadic and respectful it may have been. His approach to music completely transformed his artistic interests, and from then on he focussed his efforts on the iconography of the German maestro ’s musical creations. With a perseverance verging on obsession, Egusquiza spent years studying drawings, engravings and canvasses of the characters in Parsifal –Wagner’s last operatic work, conceived as a grand allegory of human salvation– at the time causing waves amongst Spanish intellectuals and society. The affectation of each of the characters, bathed in the supernatural light irradiating from the Holy Grail’s redeeming goodness, defines the aesthetic of these works. To underline their spiritual communion, the artist focusses on the stunned expressions of the figures, which are always imbued with a declamatory, theatrical style and over-the-top body language, as suits their performative nature, thus transmitting the extraordinary depth of the character’s internal drama. Rogelio Egusquiza (Santander, 1845 - Madrid, 1915) Spanish painter, sculptor and engraver. A disciple of Francisco de Mendoza, he moved to Paris in 1860 and enters the École des Beaux-Arts, where he has Léon Bonnat as a teacher. In 1862 he travels to England, Belgium, Holland and Germany and in 1869 he moves definitively to the French capital. His first period is marked by historical painting, which he soon abandons in favour of portraits of high society and to a few genre scenes, similar to Fortuny, whom he knows and admires. The difficulty of the political situation in French makes him move to Madrid, although he moves back to Paris as soon as he can. From there, he moves to Rome, where he works with Raimundo and Ricardo de Madrazo in workshop of Fortuny, recently deceased, until the spring of 1875. This he balances with attendance at the Academy of Spain. In 1876, his work undergoes a decisive change in direction caused by the passion awoken in Egusquiza by Richard Wagner. In 1879, the former travelled to Munich to attend a production of The Ring of the Nibelung , and was so overcome that he decided to go to Bayreuth to meet the composer personally. Once back in Paris, he joins the group of Wagner-influenced Symbolist creators and starts a series of works that display a new concept of art as a mystic, hallowed medium. Biography extracted from the Museo del Prado Encyclopedia © Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado . las figuras, imbuidas siempre de un estilo declamatorio y teatral, de una gestualidad extrema, que corresponde a su propia naturaleza escénica y que trasmite la extraordinaria profundidad del drama interior de sus personajes. Rogelio Egusquiza (Santander, 1845 - Madrid, 1915) Pintor, escultor y grabador español. Discípulo de Francisco de Mendoza, en 1860 se traslada a París e ingresa en la escuela de Bellas Artes, donde tiene como profesor a Léon Bonnat. En 1862 viaja por Inglaterra, Bélgica, Holanda y Alemania y en 1869 se instala definitivamente en la capital francesa. Su primera andadura está marcada por la pintura de historia, vía que pronto abandona para dedicarse a los retratos de la alta sociedad y a escasas escenas de género, muy en la línea de Fortuny, a quien conoce y admira. La tensa situación política por la atraviesa Francia le lleva a trasladarse a Madrid, aunque regresa a París tan pronto como le es posible. Desde allí viaja de nuevo a Roma, donde trabaja con Raimundo y Ricardo de Madrazo en el taller de Fortuny, que acababa de fallecer, hasta la primavera de 1875. Compagina esta actividad con su asistencia a la Academia de España. En 1876 su obra experimenta un giro decisivo motivado por la pasión que despierta en él la figura de Richard Wagner. En 1879 viaja a Múnich para asistir a la representación de El anillo del nibelungo , y queda tan sobrecogido que decide ir a Bayreuth para conocer al compositor personalmente. De regreso a París, entra a formar parte del grupo de creadores simbolistas imbuidos de wagnerianismo y acomete una serie de obras en las que se aprecia una nueva concepción del arte como vehículo místico y sacralizado. Biografía extraída de la Enciclopedia del Museo Nacional del Prado © Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado. Rogelio de Egusquiza . Kundry , 1906. Donación del autor/ Donation of the autor , 1914. Museo Nacional del Prado. 42