 Meanwhile, he continued to paint prolifically; creating scenes from the life of the bourgeoisie and Spanish history; winning a gold medal at the Exposición Granadina in 1876.Two years later, the provincial government awarded him a stipend to study in Rome, where he lived until 1880 with his wife and son.One of the works he painted there ("St.John of God saving the Sick from a Fire at the Royal Hospital") won second prize at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1881.