Recovery and analysis of archival collections of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando: the binding workshop of Joaquín Ibarra

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to highlight the work done by the printer and bookbinder Joaquín Ibarra y Marín in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, with a workshop in Madrid from 1754 until his death in 1785. The objectives are they have already reached the archive documentation where it is indicated that Ibarra worked for the Royal Academy from 1771 to 1784. The methodology has been carried out by consulting the accounts books and files of the Academy Archive and the analysis in situ of the bindings outlined in the documentation. The results obtained indicate that we have known the types of bindings commissioned, their prices, materials, construction and decoration techniques, recipients of the in-frames, relationships with other booksellers and in-notebooks, thus helping to better understand the history of the institution itself, the guild of booksellers, printers and bookbinders from Madrid and therefore the Madrid society of the time. As conclusions we can determine that Joaquín Ibarra combined his task of printer with that of bookbinder, albeit on a smaller scale, to perform modest works (bindings in parchment, Dutch, rustic) without making luxury bindings, works that led to other bookbinding workshops like Sancha's. It would be advisable to continue with this research and study the work done by this bookbinder in other Royal Academies and thus verify if he performed the same type of work, prices, among other aspects.