Fortuny was born on 11 May 1871, to an artistic family in Granada, Spain. After his father's death the family moved to Paris. His parents were passionate for materials and had their own collections of textiles from various shops they had visited in Europe. His father also collected metalwork and armour from previous ages as a hobby. As a young child he was fascinated with all of these textiles and would dye pieces of material for amusement. It was this exposure that led him to designing and producing his own textiles and dresses. The family moved again in 1889 to Venice, Italy. As a young man, Fortuny travelled throughout Europe seeking out artists he admired, among them the German composer Richard Wagner. Fortuny became quite varied in his talents, some of them including inventing, painting, photography, sculpting, architecture, etching and theatrical stage lighting. Fortuny registered and patented more than 20 inventions between 1901 and 1934.He died in his home in Venice and was buried in the Campo Verano in Rome.