José de Elduayen
- 1878
- Oil on canvas
- 126,5 x 103 cm
- Cat. P_213
- Comissioned from the artist in 1878
José de Elduayen held the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, but he did not wear the relevant decorations in this portrait. He is depicted wearing a frock coat with a braided trim over a starched shirt and a black tie. He is leaning against a desk on which there are papers and a book. The background is a monochrome surface, though with shades of light. The overall effect is austere and very different from the norm in the Governors’ Gallery up until then. The artist accurately conveys the idea of civil responsibility and administrative efficiency. This rather synthetic composition is combined with a very accurate picture of the sitter, whose traits are defined very clearly.
Governor of the Banco de España 1877 - 1878
José de Elduayen qualified as a Civil Engineer and went into public works, building roads and railways in the provinces of Asturias, Valladolid, Ourense and Pontevedra. He oversaw construction work on the Langreo railway, which was the third line to be opened in Spain after those from Barcelona to Mataró and from Madrid to Aranjuez, and the first built with European gauge.
Conservative in ideology, he entered politics in 1857 as member of parliament for Vigo (Pontevedra). From 1859 onwards, his political career went hand in hand with that of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, with whom he had a close friendship. In May 1872, during the reign of Amadeo of Savoy, he was Minister for the Treasury in General Serrano’s cabinet. During the Republic, he worked with Cánovas for the Restoration of the Bourbon dynasty and was rewarded with the Marquisate of El Pazo de la Merced. He was Minister for Overseas Affairs twice, in 1879 and 1880, under Cánovas. He was Minister of State three times, from 1880 to 1881, 1884 to 1885 and in 1896, in all cases in Conservative cabinets led by Cánovas. Milestones during his time as Minister of State included the hosting of the Madrid International Conference, between May and July 1880, to discuss the Morocco issue, which ended with the signing of an agreement that governed the situation of the territory until 1906. In general, he steered Spanish foreign policy towards a diversification in the relations undertaken following the Madrid Conference, with trade agreements signed with Portugal, Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands. He was Minister of the Interior under Cánovas from November 1891 to June 1892.
In October 1877 he was appointed Governor of the Banco de España, replacing Pedro Salaverrría. He resigned in February of the following year on his appointment as Minister for Overseas Affairs. When the Conservatives returned to power in July 1890, Elduayen was appointed Chairman of Banco Hipotecario.
In June 1896 he was appointed as the Speaker of the Senate, a post from which he presided over the mourning for Cánovas del Castillo, who was assassinated on 8 August 1897. He remained at the head of the Senate until February 1898 and died three months later.
Other works by Marcos Hiráldez de Acosta