Pedro de Álcantara Téllez-Girón, 9th Duke of Osuna

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Don Pedro de Álcantara Téllez-Girón, 9th Duke of Osuna (es: Don Pedro de Álcantara Téllez-Girón, noveno duque de Osuna) was co-founder of a society for the promotion of national cultural consciousness. The Duke and his wife proved to be major art-lovers and patrons. The pair were amongst the most important clients of the painter Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. By all accounts an educated man, interested in scientific and cultural innovations, the duke was an incarnation of the late 18th century illuminated aristocrat, who tried to modernize backward Spanish society into the Age of Enlightenment.

In a famous portrait, Goya portrays the Duke of Osuna without any medals in front of a dark background. Only the truncheon points to his military merits. The vivid dark eyes of the aristocrat, who was a supporter of the Enlightenment, lend the sensitively painted portrait an amazing presence. With lively brush-strokes, the painter created a richly varied surface structure, capturing the reflection of light on the duke's clothes.

In another famous painting by Goya, the ducal family is portrayed. In the large painting, Goya succeeded in perceiving the soul of his subjects with great skill and wisdom. In this serene group the bonhomie of the duke, the duchess’s intelligence and the subtly differentiated innocence of their four children was captured by Goya.

One of his children was Joaquina Téllez-Girón, Marchioness of Santa Cruz, who was also portrayed by Goya.