Behind the Scenes of a Major Art Exhibition | Amalia Alzaga Ruiz

Photo: Meadows Museum

By Ana Cruz - Founder & Chief Editor

Inside the Raimundo de Madrazo Exhibition at the Meadows Museum: A Conversation with Curator Amalia Alzaga Ruiz

In this week’s episode of The Ana Cruz Show, we dive into the fascinating world behind a major museum exhibition with Amalia Alzaga Ruiz, curator of Raimundo de Madrazo at the Meadows Museum. We explore what it truly means to be a commissioner and a curator—far beyond selecting beautiful paintings. Amalia shares her professional journey, how the idea for the first retrospective dedicated to Raimundo de Madrazo was born, and the years of research, negotiation, and international coordination required to bring a project of this magnitude to life.

We also talk about the intricate process of locating artworks across private collections and institutions, securing loans, preserving and transporting fragile pieces, and shaping a narrative that gives historical depth and contemporary relevance to 19th-century art. Most importantly, we reflect on why telling these stories matters—and how art is not just for experts, but a powerful tool that expands perspective, fuels creativity, and connects us to culture, identity, and possibility.

The exhibition, on view from February 22 to June 21, 2026, is the first-ever retrospective dedicated to Raimundo de Madrazo, a painter born into one of Spain’s most important artistic dynasties who built a dazzling career in Belle Époque Paris. Rather than following his father’s advice to pursue monumental historical canvases for academic prestige, Madrazo chose a different path: he moved to Paris and mastered the art market. There, he created exquisitely detailed interior scenes and captivating portraits inspired by the tableautins of artists like Ernest Meissonier and Mariano Fortuny. The result? Paintings of extraordinary technical brilliance and color mastery that commanded high prices across Europe and North America.

By the late 19th century, Madrazo had become the leading figure among Spanish artists in Paris and the portraitist of choice for elite clients seeking the coveted “French-style” elegance. His images of sophisticated women, carnival scenes, and refined interiors were widely reproduced, amplifying his international reputation. In our conversation, Amalia Alzaga Ruiz unpacks how Madrazo strategically positioned himself within a booming global art market, an approach that feels strikingly relevant in today’s creative industries. We explore artistic branding before Instagram, cross-cultural identity, and what it truly meant to build a global career in the 1800s.

The Meadows Museum, the leading U.S. institution dedicated to the study and presentation of Spanish art, provides the perfect stage for this historic retrospective. Founded after philanthropist Algur H. Meadows donated his collection to Southern Methodist University in 1962, the museum has grown into one of the most comprehensive collections of Spanish art outside Spain, spanning from the 10th to the 21st centuries. Organized in collaboration with Fundación MAPFRE and supported by The Meadows Foundation, this exhibition is more than a showcase, it’s a rediscovery.

Listen to the full episode below and join us in uncovering how art, ambition, and global vision shaped one of Spain’s most fascinating painters.

And make sure you visit the Raimundo de Madrazo exhibition, because this could be the only chance you have in the U.S.

Location: Meadows Museum in Dallas

February 22–June 21, 2026

Get your tickets here: https://meadowsmuseumdallas.org/