José María Casado del Alisal (1830/32 – 8 October 1886)[1] was a Spanish portrait and history painter.

His fellowship was extended in 1861, so he could continue his education in Paris, where he participated in the exposition of 1862 with his work "The Oath of the Cortes of Cádiz",[2] which is currently on display in the Congress of Deputies.

He became the first Director of the newly established Spanish Academy in Rome in January 1881, succeeding Eduardo Rosales who had been nominated but never occupied the position due to poor health.

[3] That same year, one of his best-known works, the "Bell of Huesca", failed to receive more than honorable mention at the Exhibition, which prompted him to resign his position as Director.

History paintings were his primary focus, although he also did portraits of many notable people, including Baldomero Espartero, Isabel II, Alfonso XII and Emilio Castelar y Ripoll.