By GoCaldas Team●25 May 2020
Born by the São Sebastião Chapel, Founder of the Lion Group and Painter of Queen Leonor: José Malhoa, the Naturalist Genius of Caldas da Rainha
Born in Caldas da Rainha in 1855, José Malhoa became one of the great names of Portuguese painting. From the Lion Group to international medals, meet the painter behind the museum in Parque D. Carlos I.
José Malhoa, the naturalist genius: discover the painter, then visit his museum.
José Malhoa, the painter from Caldas da Rainha
José Malhoa, or José Vital Branco Malhoa to avoid any confusion with other Malhoas, was a naturalist painter born in Caldas da Rainha on 28 April 1855, in Travessa de São Sebastião, next to the São Sebastião Chapel, where a plaque marks the house where he was born.
Recognised in Portugal and abroad, José Malhoa is considered by many to be one of the finest painters in the history of Portuguese art. In our completely impartial local opinion, he is simply the best of all!
Although he was a true son of Caldas, he left this wonderful corner of western Portugal at an early age for Lisbon, where he joined the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1867, aged just 12.
He did not disappoint. According to the records, he won first prize more than once while at the Academy, proving his artistic talent… and his Caldas spirit, we would say!
Despite his talent, his applications for grants to continue painting were turned down. Frustrated, in 1875 he had to take a different career path, but, as the saying goes, it did not last long!
What José Malhoa loved to give the world were brilliant brushstrokes, painted with a mastery that only someone born for it could achieve.
José Malhoa and the 12th Exhibition of the Society for the Promotion of Fine Arts
The break was short-lived. By 1880 our fellow townsman was already in the spotlight at the 12th Exhibition of the Society for the Promotion of Fine Arts in Portugal, alongside other future great names of Portuguese painting, such as Silva Porto.
The subjects and technique of Malhoa’s paintings won him a bronze medal at an exhibition that saw the birth of a new movement in Portuguese painting, Naturalism, of which he would become one of the greatest ambassadors. In our view, the greatest!
From then on his career kept rising, until he achieved full recognition for his brilliant artistic talent.
The Lion Group
He was one of the founders of the Grupo do Leão, or Lion Group (1881–1889), a group of artists who met at the Leão de Ouro beer hall in Lisbon. Its members included Malhoa, Silva Porto and, later, Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro and his brother Columbano, among others.
The Lion Group held 8 exhibitions in the 1880s and was immortalised in an 1885 oil painting by Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, which hung in the beer hall for some years and can now be seen at the Museu do Chiado in Lisbon.
An active and respected artist, in 1890 he was also one of the founders of the Grémio Artístico (1891–1899) and took part in the various salons it organised.
He was also elected honorary president of the National Society of Fine Arts when it was founded in 1900.
As his talent became known, he began receiving commissions in 1881 and painted public figures, including King Carlos I in 1905 (the portrait hangs in the Ducal Palace of Bragança in Vila Viçosa) and Prince Manuel in 1908, who became king after the 1908 Regicide. The portrait of Portugal’s last king can be seen here in Caldas, in the permanent collection of the José Malhoa Museum.
International Recognition
José Malhoa is widely seen as one of Portugal’s finest painters, and his talent was also recognised abroad.
He won gold medals in Barcelona and Buenos Aires (1910) and silver medals at the Berlin International Exhibition (1896), the Paris Universal Exhibition (1900) and the General Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid (1901). The Madrid medal earned a mention from Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro in the pages of A Paródia, praising the “great merits of the painter Malhoa”.
He also received medals of honour at international exhibitions in Rio de Janeiro (1908) and at the Panama-Pacific Exhibition in San Francisco (1915), to name just a few of his awards abroad.
José Malhoa’s return to Caldas da Rainha
After leaving Caldas as a child, José Malhoa did not keep close ties with his home town. He lived in Lisbon and spent more and more time in Figueiró dos Vinhos, where he began going in 1883. There he built a house, found the inspiration for many of his works and eventually died in 1933.
Still, Caldas wanted to honour its painter. In 1926, through António Montês, Malhoa was invited to paint a picture for the town, and he responded by giving the city his famous Portrait of Queen Leonor on 13 June 1926. It can be seen in all its splendour in the Malhoa Room of the José Malhoa Museum.
The city of Malhoa
António Montês then suggested creating a museum dedicated to the artist in Caldas and even set up the League of Friends of the Malhoa Museum for that purpose.
In September 1928 a bust was unveiled in his honour, with the support of the Caldas da Rainha Initiative Committee (1924–1936). It can now be seen at the José Malhoa Museum.
Malhoa received many tributes during his lifetime in recognition of his talent, and he lived to see the construction of the José Malhoa Museum approved on 17 June 1933.
José Malhoa died on 26 October 1933 and did not see the museum open on 28 April 1934, a date chosen in his honour, as it would have been his 79th birthday.
There is no doubt that he is a key figure in our history and deserves every tribute.
Recommended guided tour
Best of Caldas da Rainha with a local guide
Discover the historic centre, the Thermal Hospital and Praça da Fruta with a local guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was José Malhoa born?
In Caldas da Rainha, on 28 April 1855, in Travessa de São Sebastião, next to the São Sebastião Chapel.
Where can I see José Malhoa’s work in Caldas da Rainha?
At the José Malhoa Museum in Parque D. Carlos I. The collection includes the portrait of Queen Leonor that the painter gave to the city and his portrait of Prince Manuel.
What was the Lion Group?
A group of artists who met at the Leão de Ouro beer hall in Lisbon between 1881 and 1889. Malhoa was a founder, alongside Silva Porto, and Rafael and Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro joined later.
More history of Caldas da Rainha
- Queen Leonor, the founder
- King Carlos I and Caldas da Rainha
- Rodrigo Berquó, the man of the waters
- Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro in Caldas da Rainha
- Francisco Grandella and Foz do Arelho
- Caldas da Rainha ceramics
This article was put together by the GoCaldas team, the local travel guide to Caldas da Rainha.