Miguel Parra Abril (1780 – 1846): A Painter of Quiet Elegance José Felipe Parra was born in Valencia, Spain, on March 23, 1780. His father, José María Parra y Sánchez de Casasola, was a lawyer and diplomat, instilling in Miguel a love for intellectual pursuits alongside artistic inclinations. Despite facing considerable hardship during his youth due to familial financial difficulties—a common reality for artists of the era—Parra perse…