ALVAREZ, Francisco, born at Coimbra after 1460, a priest and almoner to Dorn Manuel, king of Portugal, was sent in 1515 as secretary to Duarte Galvão, on an embassy to David, king of Abyssinia. The expedition having been delayed by the way, it was not until 1520 that he reached Abyssinia, where he remained six years, returning to Lisbon in 1527. In 1533 he was sent to Rome on an embassy to Pope Clement VII. The precise date of his death, like that of his birth, is unknown; but it must have been later than 1540, in which year he published at Lisbon, under the king’s patronage, an account of his travels, in one volume folio, entitled Verdadeira Informaçam, do Preste Joas das Indias. This curious work was translated in Latin, under the title of De Fide, Regione, et Moribus Aethiopum, by Damien Goez, a Portuguese gentleman; and has often been reprinted and translated into other languages. The information it contains must, however, be received with caution, as the author is prone to exaggerate, and does not confine himself to what came within his own observation....
ALVAREZ, DonJosé, the foremost Spanish sculptor of modern times, was born at Priego, in the province of Cordova, in 1768, and died at Madrid in 1827. Bred to his father’s trade of a stone-mason, he devoted all his spare time to drawing and modelling. In his twentieth year he became a pupil of the Academy of Granada. A work he executed soon afterwards for a fountain in his native town attracted the notice of the Bishop of Cordova, who took the young artist into his house and maintained him for several years. In 1799 he obtained from Charles IV. a pension of 12,000 reals, to enable him to visit Paris and Rome. In the former city he executed, in 1804, a statue of Ganymede, which placed him at once in the front rank of sculptors. Shortly afterwards his pension was more than doubled, and he left Paris for Rome, where he remained till within a year of his death. The most important of his numerous works, executed during this period, was a group representing Antilochus and Memnon, which was commissioned in marble (1818) by Ferdinand VII., and secured for the artist the appointment of court sculptor. It is now in the Museum of Madrid. Alvarez modelled a few portrait busts (Ferdinand VII., Rossini, the Duchess of Alba), which are remarkable for their vigour and fidelity.
ALVAREZ, Don Manuel, a Spanish sculptor, was born at Salamanca in 1727, and died in 1797. He followed classical models so closely that he was styled by his countrymen El Griego, "The Greek.” His works, which are very numerous, are chiefly to be found at Madrid.
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