 When the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando was provisionally inaugurated in 1744, Francisco was made an honorary director of the painting section, and Meléndez was among the first students to be admitted, where he achieved outstanding results in drawing.The Academy was progressive in that it not only tolerated but also encouraged "lesser" genres, including still life.At this time, he was already an accomplished painter, as proven by his self-portrait signed in 1747 at the Louvre.