Biography.guide
Home › People › Model › José Capelo
Portrait of José Capelo

José Capelo

b. 1956

Spanish banker

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About José Capelo

Born 1956. José Capelo is a Spanish model and banker.

José Capelo Blanco (born January 1956 ) is a Spanish banker who was a friend of the British artist Francis Bacon. He was the subject of a 1987 portrait, Portrait of José Capelo and Triptych 1991. Capelo was given paintings and US$4 million by the artist, something Bacon would later confide he regretted doing, before his death in 1992.

Capelo and Bacon met in 1988 at a party hosted by the British choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton.

In 2014, it was reported by The Sunday Times that in taped conversations Bacon had with his friend Barry Joule, which were not released until 12 years after Bacon's 1992 death (in accordance with Bacon's wishes), Bacon had fallen in love with Capelo and they had had an affair. The Art Gallery of New South Wales called it a "final passionate affair". Capelo has denied any romantic connection.

In March 2016, it was revealed that in July 2015, thieves had broken into Capelo's apartment in Madrid's Plaza de la Encarnación and stolen five Bacon paintings worth a total of about Euro 30 million, although the details of the actual works has not been released.

In July 2017 three of the stolen paintings were recovered in Spain. In May 2024 a fourth painting, Study for a Portrait of Jose Capelo, was recovered, also in Spain.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1956
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality

People in José Capelo's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped José Capelo's

Frequently asked questions

Who is José Capelo?

Spanish banker

When was José Capelo born?

José Capelo was born in 1956.

What is José Capelo's occupation?

José Capelo is a model and banker.

What nationality is José Capelo?

José Capelo is Spanish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: José Capelo

· Wikidata: Q23304447

· DBpedia: José Capelo

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). José Capelo. https://biography.guide/jose-capelo/

MLA: "José Capelo." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jose-capelo/.

Chicago: "José Capelo." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jose-capelo/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:08 UTC