María Josefa Pimentel, Duchess of Osuna

María Josefa Pimentel, Duchess of Osuna
The Duchess of Osuna, by Francisco de Goya, 1785
Spouse(s) Pedro Téllez-Girón, 9th Duke of Osuna
Issue
Francisco Téllez-Girón
Pedro Téllez-Girón
Joaquina Téllez-Girón
Manuela Téllez-Girón
Full name
María Josefa Pimentel, Duchess of Osuna
Noble family House of Benavente
Born November 26, 1752(1752-11-26)
Madrid, Spain
Died October 5, 1834(1834-10-05) (aged 81)
Madrid, Spain

Doña María Josefa Alonso-Pimentel y Téllez-Girón, Duchess of Osuna, Grandee of Spain, suo jure 12th Countess-Duchess of Benavente, Grandee of Spain (26 November 1752 - 5 October 1834) was a Spanish aristocrat, famous for her patronage of artists, writers and scientists.

Contents

Biography

She married Pedro Téllez-Girón, 9th Duke of Osuna in 1771. The couple had many children; her possessions and noble titles were absorbed thereto by the Osuna family.

According to contemporary reports, she was a woman of keen intelligence, elegance and poise, who also played an important role in Spanish society and did a lot of charitable works. The emancipated duchess held one of the most important literary salons in Madrid, making her an incarnation of the late 18th century illuminated aristocrat of the Age of Enlightenment.

The Duchess and her husband were among the most important aristocrats who became patrons of the painter Francisco de Goya. The Duchess not only purchased one of the first editions of Los Caprichos, but also commissioned a series of cabinet paintings on the subject of witchcraft from Goya, amongst them El aquelarre (Witches' Sabbath). In the famous portrait Goya painted of her, she is shown standing with noble reserve, and dressed according to the fashion initiated by Queen Marie Antoinette in Paris at that time.

In another famous painting, Goya portrayed the ducal family. In this 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 the artist.

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

Full name and title

In full, her Spanish name and titles were: Doña María Josefa de la Soledad Alonso Pimentel Téllez-Girón Borja y Centelles, décimo quinta condesa y décimo segunda duquesa de Benavente, décimo tercera duquesa de Béjar, décimo tercera duquesa de Plasencia, décimo segunda duquesa de Arcos, décimo cuarta duquesa de Gandia, novena duquesa de Mandas y Villanueva, octava marquesa de Jabalquinto, décimo quinta marquesa de Gibraleón, novena marquesa de Terranova, décimo segunda marquesa de Lombay, décimo sexta marquesa de Zahara, décimo octava condesa de Mayorga, décimo sexta condesa de Luna, décimo tercera condesa de Bañares, séptima condesa de Belalcázar, décimo cuarta condesa de Oliva, décimo primera condesa de Mayalde, décimo segunda condesa de Bailén, décimo segunda condesa de Casares, décimo quinta vizcondesa de la Puebla de Alcocer, 6 veces Grande de España, principessa di Anglona, duchessa di Monteagudo, marchesa di Marguini, contessa di Osilò e di Coguinas en Cerdeña, dama de la Orden de María Luisa.

Ancestry

Additional information

Images by Francisco Goya

References

Sources

Spanish nobility
Preceded by
Francisco Pimentel		 Countess-Duchess
of Benavente
1763-1834		 Succeeded by
Pedro Téllez-Girón