José Arpa y Perea, 1858-1952, was an artist of Spanish birth who worked in Spain, Mexico, and Texas. Born in Carmona, Spain

Carmona, Spain

Carmona is a town of south-western Spain, in the province of Seville; 33 km north-east of Seville.Carmona is built on a ridge overlooking the central plain of Andalusia, to the north is the Sierra Morena, to the south is the of peak of San Cristobal. The city is known for its thriving trade...

, he studied under Eduardo Cano de la Peña at the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville

Museum of Fine Arts of Seville

The Museum of Fine Arts of Seville or Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla is a museum in Seville, Spain, a collection of mainly Spanish visual arts from medieval period to the early 20th century, including a choice selection of works from the so-called Golden Age of Sevillian painting during the 17th...

, where he won the Rome Prize

Rome Prize

The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists and to 15 scholars The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists...

 three times, allowing him to study in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

. During his years in San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

 he influenced many painters, most notably Xavier Gonzalez

Xavier Gonzalez

Xavier Gonzalez was a Spanish American artist. He was born in Almeria, Spain. He lived in Argentina and Mexico for some time. In 1925, he immigrated to the United States....

, Octavio Medellín, and Porfirio Salinas

Porfirio Salinas

Porfirio Salinas was an Early Texas landscape painter who is recognized for his depictions of the Texas Hill Country in the springtime. He was one of the first Mexican-American artists to become nationally recognized for his paintings. He was described by Time Magazine as United States President...

. He painted in a realistic style, and was especially noted for his use of brilliant colors and his expertise in capturing the visual effects of sunlight. His work has been widely exhibited; ten of his paintings are in the collection of the San Antonio Museum of Art

San Antonio Museum of Art

The San Antonio Museum of Art is a museum in San Antonio, Texas. In the early 1970s, plans were initiated to purchase the historic Lone Star Brewery complex for conversion into the San Antonio Museum of Art and following a $7.2 million renovation, the San Antonio Museum of Art opened to the...

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