Maella (Pedro López de Lerena) - Public domain portrait painting

Mariano Salvador Maella was a prominent Spanish painter of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.Born in Valencia in 1739, he studied under the famous painter Anton Raphael Mengs in Rome, where he developed his skills in the neoclassical style.He later returned to Spain and became court painter to King Charles III. Maella's paintings are known for their dramatic compositions and strong use of light and shadow.His subjects often included historical or mythological scenes, as well as portraits of the royal family and other notable figures of the time. One of his most famous works is The Death of Viriatus, which depicts the death of the Lusitanian leader Viriatus at the hands of the Roman general Quintus Servilius Caepio. The painting is notable for its powerful depiction of violence and emotion, as well as its attention to historical detail. Maella was also an accomplished fresco painter, and his work can be seen in several churches and palaces throughout Spain. He died in Madrid in 1819, leaving a legacy as one of the most important painters of his time.