Carlos Lezcano

Carlos Lezcano is a memorial plaque in Madrid, mounted on the facade of a house at Calle Rollo 3, in the Centro (Palacio) district. It honors the painter Carlos Lezcano Fernández and forms part of the city's network of urban monuments and historical plaques managed by Madrid's town hall.

Who was Carlos Lezcano?

Carlos Lezcano Fernández (1870–1929) was born in Madrid and trained under Taberner and Joaquín Sorolla, one of Spain's most influential painters of the era. He drew early attention in 1885, earning an honorable mention at the National Exhibition. Despite this promising start, he stepped away from painting for roughly two decades to run the family business. He returned to the easel in 1921, following the death of his son, and from then on focused almost exclusively on landscape painting, particularly scenes from Castile and the Basque Country. Several of his canvases, including views of Toledo from 1925 and 1928, are now held in the collection of the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.

What does the plaque look like, and who designed it?

The plaque was created by sculptor José Luis Parés, responsible for the relief, together with architect Joaquín Roldán Pascual. It is made of white limestone with bronze details and measures 1.20 by 0.70 meters. At its center sits a bronze relief showing the painter's profile within a circular frame. The inscription praises the artist for capturing, in his work, "the deep silence of ruins" and "the sleeping emotion of villages and landscapes" that he discovered while traveling Spain's forgotten roads.

When and why was the plaque installed?

The plaque was unveiled in 1983, on the fifty-fourth anniversary of Lezcano's death. It was commissioned by Madrid's city council to commemorate the painter at the site of his former residence. The plaque belongs to a broader municipal program through which Madrid marks locations tied to artists, writers, and other figures significant to the city's history.

Where exactly is it located?

The plaque sits at Calle Rollo 3, in the heart of Madrid's Centro district, close to other historic streets and buildings in the old town. It is fixed at facade height and can be viewed freely from the street, with no need to enter the building.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a statue or a plaque? It's a commemorative plaque (lápida) with a relief bust, fixed to a building facade — not a freestanding statue or monument.

Who was Carlos Lezcano, and why does he have a plaque? He was a Madrid-born painter and student of Joaquín Sorolla, best known for his landscapes of Castile and the Basque Country. The plaque recognizes his contribution to Spanish landscape painting.

Who created the plaque, and when was it installed? The relief was made by sculptor José Luis Parés, with the architectural design by Joaquín Roldán Pascual. It was unveiled in 1983.

Can Carlos Lezcano's paintings be seen elsewhere in Madrid? Yes — several of his works, including views of Toledo, are held in the collection of the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.