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BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Miscellaneous / Eugenio Lucas Velázquez (1817-1870) - Scène goyesque
Interesting genre scene by the Madrid painter Eugenio Lucas Velázquez, one of the most singular figures of Spanish Romantic painting of the 19th century and one of the main continuators of Francisco de Goya’s artistic universe. The scene represents a group of popular characters gathered in an exterior space. In the center, a man appears seated or collapsed, surrounded and attended by several figures who lean toward him. The attitude of the characters allows the episode to be interpreted as a scene of aid, drunkenness, conversation, or a popular altercation, maintaining a narrative ambiguity characteristic of costumbrista and goyesco painting. The composition is resolved through an extraordinarily free and spontaneous technique, based on washes, diluted brushstrokes, and vigorous dark lines. The artist alternates barely suggested areas with others defined by rapid and expressive lines, achieving an image of great liveliness, movement, and narrative force. The main figures concentrate in the central area, while the architectural and landscape surroundings appear only sketched. This economy of means allows the viewer’s attention to focus on the gestures, attitudes, and relationships among the characters. The work shows a marked influence of Francisco de Goya, both in the choice of popular types and in the ambiguous, grotesque, and slightly satirical tone of the scene. Lucas Velázquez frequently turned to subjects related to majos, processions, tavern scenes, condemned people, crowds, and episodes of popular life, personally reinterpreting the Goyesque imaginary from a wholly romantic sensibility. What stands out especially is the confidence of the drawing, visible in the rapid characterization of the faces, the bent postures, and the folds of the garments. With few strokes, the artist manages to convey movement, tension, and a strong narrative dimension. The color range, dominated by sepias, blacks, earth tones, and grayish hues, reinforces the dramatic and antique character of the composition. The work is signed and dated “E. Lucas, 1862” in the lower left area. About the artist Eugenio Lucas Velázquez was born in Madrid in 1817 and died in the same city in 1870. He was one of the most personal painters of Spanish Romanticism and developed a language characterized by technical freedom, swift execution, and a deep admiration for Francisco de Goya. He cultivated genre painting, landscape, costumbrista scenes, inquisitorial themes, processions, witches’ sabbaths, and numerous compositions of a fantastic or popular character. He was especially valued for his ability to represent crowds, marginal types, and scenes full of movement, satire, and drama. Although he was one of Goya’s main followers, his work should not be understood as simple imitation. Lucas Velázquez transformed goyesque models with a more impulsive brushstroke, a freer pictorial matter, and a wholly romantic vision. His technique is distinguished by the use of quick brushstrokes, blotches, scraping, washes, and nervous strokes. In his works on paper, these qualities take on special intensity, as the artist takes advantage of the support’s absorption and the tonal variations of the ink to create compositions with an immediate and spontaneous appearance. Among his best-known works are popular scenes, goyesque-inspired compositions, landscapes, and inquisitorial themes kept in important public and private collections. Condition report The work shows signs typical of its age, including oxidation and darkening of the paper, stains, surface dirt, waviness, wear, small losses, or irregularities at the edges. It is recommended to examine the photographs carefully, as they form an essential part of the description and show the real state of conservation. The frame is sent as a gift, with no commercial value. It may present scuffs, knocks, losses of gilding, cracks, restorations, dirt, or defects due to its age. The frame’s condition will not be a basis for claims. The artwork will be carefully packed to ensure proper protection during transport. Customs duties, tariffs, import taxes, handling charges, and any other fees charged in the destination country will be the sole responsibility of the buyer. Shipping may incur additional charges in countries that require customs procedures or special import handling. The seller is not responsible for possible delays, holds, or incidents arising from customs procedures.
Estimate:£763.42
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Estimate:
£763.42
OCT 8 | 3:00 PM
OCT 8 | 3:00 PM
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