The Minister of Defense awarded with the Cross of Military Merit the painter Ferrer-Dalmau

Minister of Defense awarding the painter with the Cross of Military Merit (Photo:Iván Jiménez/DECET)

Minister of Defense and JEME in the event (Photo:Iván Jiménez/DECET)

Painter Ferrer-Dalmau's speech (Photo:Iván Jiménez/DECET)

Painter Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau has been awarded today, at the Spanish Army's Staff in Madrid, with the Cross of Military Merit with White Decoration due to his contribution for getting to know the Military History of Spain throughout his works.

The Minister of Defense, María Dolores de Cospedal, who chaired the act together with the Chief of General Staff of the Spanish Army (JEME in Spanish), General Francisco J. Varela, was the responsible for awarding the painter, in the presence of military authorities, relatives and friends.

For the artist, this recognition means a way of seeing himself "rewarded" because of his job, which is part of his idea about "promoting the pride" of the Armed Forces' history among young people.

According to Cospedal, this honor awards the "artistic quality but the compromise established with the Armed Forces too" of the author, and she added that "awarding someone prestigious from Barcelona on a day like today, is an unusual event, because it represents the evidence of feeling as a Catalan, Spanish and European citizen".

From her opinion, in Ferrer-Dalmau's paintings "all military values and epic capacity of the Spanish people are portrayed", reason why his paintings are valued and appreciated inside but also outside of the Institution.

During the event, the Minister wanted to praise the author's generosity too, who has bequeathed many of his works to military units, and to highlight that he is the first painter who has accompanied the Spanish troops in missions such as the one in Afganistan or in Lebanon, in order to do a research for paintings like in "La Patrulla" or "Lejos de Casa".

Agreement of the Ministers' Council

The awarding of the Cross of Military Merit with White Decoration to Ferrer-Dalmau was agreed at the meeting of the Ministers' Council the 1st of September, and it has been awarded through the Minister of Defense's Royal Decree.

This honor pretends to be an appraisal of his job and contribution to the Spanish Military History, element presented in his works, and that portrays with a wealth of detail the different aspects of the Armed Forces.