[2] The use of jewel tones, contrasts between light and dark, and the virtuosity of the work attest to Fortuny's talent.

[4] Marià Fortuny (1838–1874), a Catalan and Spanish artist, was known during the 19th century for his oil paintings, etchings, and watercolors.

[14] It is believed that The Spanish Wedding was inspired by a visit to a parish church in Madrid in preparation for his marriage to Cecilia de Madrazo.

[14] The Spanish Wedding catapulted Fortuny to international fame and his paintings were in high demand the rest of his career.

[17] The Barcelona government decided that it would be best for the art work to come back to Spain and the funds for this endeavor were raised by subscription.

[4] It arrived at the museum in 1922 and is now cared for and displayed by Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in Barcelona.

The priest; two gentlemen at the end of the table; and the older couple, on the bench to the right, look on as the groom signs the documents, thereby creating emphasis on the center of the painting.

[16] The metal heating element in the left corner, known as a brazier, is used in a number of his paintings, and may have been from his extensive personal collection of antiquities.

[21] This technique leads to fine brush work, which, when observed closely, looks like dashes and daubs of paint.

[2] His brother-in-law, Raimundo de Madrazo, borrows heavily from The Spanish Wedding in his genre painting Coming Out of Church.

[10] Art historians believe that had Fortuny lived longer, his work would have grown and influenced artists for many years to come.

[14] Unfortunately, due to the revolution in the arts by the French Impressionists, Fortuny, and other genre artists like him, are largely unknown.