Reconstructing the Alhambra: Rafael Contreras and Architectural Models of the Alhambra in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

Many models of the Alhambra survive today in major museums and institutions worldwide. Most of these were made by the head restorer of the Alhambra Rafael Contreras, who carried out a major restoration in the Nasrid palace between 1847 and 1889. He aimed to change the look of the Alhambra to create a more “Oriental” building. Parallel to his works on the building, he created a successful business based on architectural models and plaster casts of the Alhambra, reviving old Nasrid plaster techniques and introducing new ones. He sold these objects as souvenirs to the many tourists who visited the palace in the nineteenth century, especially from Britain, thus spreading his own vision of the Alhambra.