CEAN-I3ERMUDF.Z, JUAN AUGUSTIN, one of the few writers on art which Spain has produced, was born at Gijon in the Asturias, in 1749, and was the eon of poor parents. He was educated in the Jesuits' College at Oviedo, where it was his good fortune to find not only a companion but a friend and protector in Jovellanos, with whom he resided two years at Ala& and Seville, and then went with him to Madrid, in 1778. During Jovellanoe retirement shortly afterwards from office, he returned with him to Seville, where his admiration of the monuments of that city led him to apply himself to a systematic course of study in architecture and drawing. Encouraged by Joeellanoe, he proceeded to Madrid in order to place himself under Menge, but as that artist shortly after returned to Rome, be had not much time to profit by his instruction. When Jovellanos was recalled to office he procured an appointment for his friend. Some yearn after wards Bermudez obtained a small pension, which enabled him to devote himself entirely to his literary pursuits as the historian of Spanish art His first publication was the ' Diecionario Historico do los mas illustree Professoree de las belles Artes en Espana,' 6 vols. 8vo, 1500 ; and his others are : ' Deecripcion Artistica de la Catedrel de Sevilla,' 1504 ; 'Descripcion del Hospital del Sangre,' 1604; Carta sobre el Eatilo, etc. de la Escuela Sevillana,' 1806, in which he traces the
progress of the Seville school of painting from the middle of the 15th century; 'Dialogo sobre el Arts de Pinter,' 1819; and lastly the ' Noticias de los Arquitectos y Arquiteetura en Espana,' 4 vole. 4to, 1529, &c., a work founded upon materials collected by Eugenio Linguae, who shortly before his death gave them to Bermudez, insist ing upon his making use of them. Bermudez accordingly afterwards not only arranged and shaped them for publication, but made extensive addition. and enlargements, and carried on the history to the close of the 18th century. Valuable as this work is for the mass of information and copious documents which it contains, it is rather one for mere reference than perusal, it being not so much a critical history of Spanish architecture as an industriously compiled register of facts, names, and dates.
Besides the preceding there is one other publication of his to be meotioned—the ' Memoriaa pars la Vida de Jovellanos,' Madrid, 1814, in which ho has left an affectiouate portraiture of that excellent friend. Cean-Bermudez died in 1834, and left several manuscript works, one of which, on the Roman antiquities of Spain, was afterwards edited at the expense of the Royal Spanish Academy of History.