Tenerife Museum Acquires Historic Gutiérrez Miniature
The Museum of History and Anthropology of Tenerife has purchased a unique 1797 miniature portrait of General Antonio Gutiérrez by Luis de la Cruz y Ríos, a significant artistic and historical record of his defense of the island.
The Museum of History and Anthropology of Tenerife (MHAT) has bought a tiny portrait of General Antonio Gutiérrez. The painting, signed by Luis de la Cruz y Ríos and dated 1797, is a significant addition to the museum's collection. The MHAT is run by the Autonomous Organization of Museums and Centers (OAMC) of the Cabildo de Tenerife.
Though small, this artwork is very important both artistically and historically. It joins many other portraits by the Tenerife-born painter Luis de la Cruz y Ríos already in the MHAT's collection. These include works from his time in Tenerife and those he created while working for the court in Madrid.
José Carlos Acha, the island's councilor for Culture, Museums and Sports, praised the purchase. He called it "a fundamental step" in understanding General Gutiérrez, a key figure in Canary Islands history. Acha believes Gutiérrez's story "deserves to be looked at with historical accuracy and artistic appreciation."
The portrait was painted just four months after July 25, 1797. On that date, General Gutiérrez famously led the successful defense of Santa Cruz de Tenerife against a British attack. The Cabildo states that this miniature not only shows the general as a hero but also serves as a vital visual record of that event, connecting art, the institution, and the political and military situation of the time.
Artistically, this piece was created early in Luis de la Cruz y Ríos's career, when he was only about twenty years old. Even then, it shows the qualities that would make him one of the best miniature painters in Spanish art history.
What's more, out of the three miniature portraits of General Gutiérrez believed to be by Luis de la Cruz, the one bought by the MHAT is the only one known to exist today. The other two have been lost.
The Cabildo emphasizes that this artwork will help bring General Gutiérrez back into the spotlight. His heroic status had "faded" over time. It will also allow the public to learn about him from a full perspective, where "art and history support each other."