Famous Portuguese People: Joaquim Machado de Castro
Joaquim Machado de Castro (1731-1822) is one of Portugal's most famous classical sculptors.
Machado de Castro was born in Coimbra, the son of a church organ maker and sculptor. He received an education from the Jesuits in the city before undertaking an apprenticeship in his chosen field in Lisbon.
Machado de Castro's first large commission was in 1771 when he produced the mounted bronze statue of King José I (D. José I), to a design by Eugénio dos Santos. The equestrian figure is shown symbolically crushing snakes in Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) in Lisbon, part of the Pombaline redevelopment of the capital following the 1755 earthquake.
Further commissions soon followed including work on the Basilica da Estrela, São Vicente de Fora, and the Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Encarnação all in Lisbon.
Machado de Castro became famous throughout Europe after publishing his extensive notes on his works and the theory behind them. His description of his statue of D. José I: Descripção analytica da execucão da estatua equestre, made him one of Europe's most influential architects.
Machado de Castro is celebrated in his home town of Coimbra by the naming of the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro in his honour.
