Juan Adán Morlán (1741–1816) is one of the defining sculptors of Spanish Neoclassicism, a figure whose artistic achievements were often intertwined with personal controversies and professional disputes. Born in Tarazona, Aragón, and baptized on March 1, 1741, Adán’s early life was rooted in a family of carpenters. His father’s craft provided the young Adán with his initial training in woodwork, but his aspirations soon veered toward sculpture. By 1762, he was apprenticed to José Ramírez de Arellano in Zaragoza, marking his formal entry into the world of art. However, it was Adán’s relentless pursuit of excellence that drove him to Rome, where he would refine his skills and secure his reputation (Carretero 2013, 419).

Adán’s Roman sojourn began in 1775, under the patronage of influential figures like José Nicolás de Azara and Tomás de Aizpuru. These connections provided him with financial support and access to the artistic and intellectual circles of the Eternal City. Adán produced copies of classical and Renaissance sculptures for the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, including Marsyas (1771) and Michelangelo’s Moses (1775). These works, sent back to Madrid, earned him an extraordinary pension and the prestigious title of académico de mérito. His mastery in rendering classical forms was evident in his meticulous reproductions, which adhered to the rigorous aesthetic ideals of Neoclassicism while demonstrating an emerging personal style (Ázcue 1994, 38).

In 1796, Adán received a commission from the Governor of the Philippines to create a monument to King Carlos IV for the city of Manila. This monumental work was conceived as a tribute to the king’s support of the Balmis Expedition, which brought the smallpox vaccine to the Philippines. Led by Francisco Javier de Balmis, the mission carried the vaccine across the Spanish empire, including the Canary Islands, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, China, and the Philippines. Carlos IV, often called “the Hunter” and known for his patronage of science, authorized this humanitarian mission to combat one of the deadliest diseases of the time. The monument, cast in bronze and based on Adán’s model, was finally installed in 1824 in Manila’s central plaza. (Martínez Leiva and Jordán de Urríes 2018, 20; Gaceta de Madrid, August 13, 1799, 717).

Despite his growing acclaim, Adán’s career was marred by a scandal during his tenure in Lleida. Returning to Spain in 1776, he was commissioned to create the retablos for the city’s Cathedral Nueva. This endeavor took a dark turn in 1782 when a fire destroyed the unfinished main altarpiece and related works. Witnesses alleged that Adán, dissatisfied with his progress, had intentionally set the fire. Although imprisoned and his assets seized, Adán was eventually released through the intervention of the powerful Count of Floridablanca. The episode, however, left a lasting stain on his reputation and forced him to relocate to Madrid (Carretero 2013, 423–424).

In the capital, Adán’s fortunes gradually revived. By 1786, he secured a position as teniente director de escultura at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, and in 1793, he was named honorary sculptor to the royal court. Among his major commissions during this period was the Fuente de Hércules y Anteo for the Jardín del Parterre in Aranjuez, ordered by Charles IV. This monumental fountain, though unfinished at the time of Adán’s death, encapsulates the grandeur and ambition of his late career. His royal commissions extended to portrait busts of Charles IV and María Luisa de Parma, works that earned him significant recognition at court. The marble bust of the queen, for instance, was displayed in her chambers to wide acclaim, underscoring Adán’s status as a favored sculptor of the monarchy (Martínez Leiva and Jordán de Urríes 2018, 20).

Adán’s works reveal an artist deeply engaged with the visual vocabulary of Neoclassicism, yet his approach often reflected an emotional intensity that distinguished him from his contemporaries. His terracotta sculptures, such as Santa Isabel de Portugal (gifted to the Academy of San Luca in Rome), exemplify his ability to combine technical precision with expressive detail. Similarly, his ecclesiastical commissions, including a life-sized image of Santa Teresa de Jesús for the Carmelites of Tarazona, showcase his deftness in creating devotional works. (Ázcue 1994, 224).

The closing years of Adán’s life saw him ascend to the role of director of sculpture at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in 1814, a position that solidified his influence over Spanish sculpture. Yet, despite this recognition, his career was not without its critics. The lingering effects of the Lleida incident and the sporadic completion of some major projects occasionally tarnished his legacy. Adán’s personal life also intersected with his artistic pursuits. He married to Violante del Valle, daughter of the Florentine sculptor Filippo della Valle. Two of his sons also pursued artistic careers. (Carretero 2013, 422).

Juan Adán’s oeuvre encompasses public monuments, royal portraiture, and religious art, reflecting both the ideals and complexities of Neoclassicism in Spain. Many of his works, particularly those created for the former Spanish colonies, such as his monument in Manila, have only recently been identified and studied. Adán died in Madrid on June 14, 1816, during the Bourbon Restoration. Much like the Spanish Enlightenment and the Neoclassical aesthetic it championed, his contributions have often been marginalized in art historical scholarship, awaiting fuller recognition of their significance in the development of modern art in Manila.

Bibliography

Ázcue Brea, Leticia. La escultura en la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Madrid: Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, 1994.

Carretero Calvo, Rebeca. “El escultor Juan Adán y su entorno familiar.” In Goya y su contexto: Actas del seminario internacional, 411–428. Zaragoza: Institución Fernando el Católico, 2013.

Martínez Leiva, Gloria, and Javier Jordán de Urríes. “La fuente de Hércules y Anteo en Aranjuez: La intervención del escultor Juan Adán.” Philostrato. Revista de Historia y Arte 3 (2018): 5–38.

“Gaceta de Madrid.” August 13, 1799.