Federico Beltrán Masses

Federico Beltrán Masses (8 September 1885 – 4 October 1949) was a Spanish painter known for his rich use of colour, psychological portraiture, and evocative images of women. Born in Cuba to Spanish parents, he spent his youth in Barcelona before studying painting in Madrid under Joaquín Sorolla. Beltrán Masses achieved significant success in Paris during the early twentieth century, exhibiting internationally and receiving critical acclaim. His work is characterized by Symbolist influences, dramatic nocturnal settings, and a distinctive colour palette known as "Beltrán blue." Despite a period of obscurity after his death, his reputation has been revived in recent decades through exhibitions and scholarly interest.