JOSÉ JIMÉNEZ ARANDA (Seville, 1837 - 1903). "Country... Lot 29

JOSÉ JIMÉNEZ ARANDA (Seville, 1837 - 1903). "Country fan with embroidered scene". Embroidered thread and gouache on canvas. It has a damaged frame. Signed in the lower right corner. Measurements: 27 x 61 cm; 50 x 86 cm (frame). In this "país de abanico" Jiménez Aranda displays a whole display of virtuosity that goes beyond the composition and the detail of the small format figures adapted to perfection to the dimensions of the support. Not only does he work the work pictorially, but he also introduces details in gold and silver thread that reproduce in a true-to-life manner the "alamares", or decorative appliqués of the bullfighters' costumes. Taking advantage of the landscape format of the Aranda fan, he introduces us to an image that perfectly captures the society of the time, as it not only portrays the bullfighting scene but also shows flamenco women and gentrified men in the background. The work falls within the framework of the rise of regionalism in Spain in the second half of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century, with the development of an art with a Romantic, costumbrista heritage and a realistic and meticulous style, which focused on depicting subjects, themes and characters that reflected a new sense of folklore. In this context, the painters sought to reflect the types and customs of their own land, which made it different and unique, thus vindicating their own roots and, above all, the traditions and ways of dressing and behaving that were threatened by the notable growth of urban areas and the imposition of new fashions brought in from outside. José Jiménez Aranda, brother of Luis and Manuel Jiménez Aranda, was a Spanish painter and illustrator who began his training with Manuel Cabral and Eduardo Cano de la Peña. His talent for drawing helped him to gain admission to the Santa Isabel de Hungría Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Seville in 1851. In 1868 he was in Madrid, where he learned in the Prado Museum from the best masters, feeling a special predilection for Goya and Velázquez. In 1867 he was in Jerez de la Frontera working as a restorer and designer of stained-glass windows and, four years later, he managed to go to Rome, where he met Mariano Fortuny. He returned four years later. Between 1881 and 1890 he lived in Paris, where he produced a series of works, most notably those set in the 18th century, which were greatly influenced by Fortuny, due to the success they brought him. When he returned to Madrid, he devoted himself to works with everyday themes but with a more costumbrist air. In 1892 he returned to Seville, where he taught at the Academy of Fine Arts until his death, in turn teaching leading figures such as Eugenio Hermoso, Manuel González Santos, etc., and frequenting the so-called "landscape circle of Alcalá de Guadaira" towards the end of the 19th century. Although his best-known works are the scenes inspired by 17th-century art, he also dealt with religious themes and landscapes. His work received numerous awards during his lifetime (Honourable Mention at the National Fine Arts Exhibitions of 1864 and 1866; First Medal at the 1890 Exhibition, Medal of Honour at the Munich International Exhibition of 1883...), and is held in important private collections and institutions such as the Museo Carmen Thyssen in Malaga, the Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville, the Museo del Prado in Madrid, etc.