Patronato del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao.

El #MuseodeBellasArtesdeBilbao #reabrirá el 8 de octubre el edificio de 1970
tinyurl.com/yrcjfzy4

Spanish artist Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta divides the canvas into two planes. The legendary countess appears in the foreground looking up from reading while reclining on a divan, where she often greeted her guests that year for health reasons. In this allongée pose, strong lighting spotlights her presence, while her gown, made of pinkish and orangey chiffon and tulle, is highlighted by the color contrast with the green satin of the divan. Her bust is unabashedly pushed up and framed by her dark tresses, which along with her lips, her look and her Oriental features accentuate the expressive and intellectual sensuality of the countess, and with it her psychological depth. However, the physical seduction of her body is nullified by her loose gowns. The background, which is highlighted as a backdrop, refuses any aim at perspective with a cloudscape flanked by heavy curtains. Books arranged on a side table evoke the profession of the countess as a famous writer, along with a pearl necklace, a sign of passion, and a vase of roses, a symbol of love. This is a small symbolic compendium of the countess' artistic oeuvre while also representing the theme of the vanitas from the Spanish Baroque. Executed with extraordinary technical virtuosity, the work is aligned with the aesthetic ideals that the painter promoted during this period. "In a painting, I am not seeking atmosphere, distances, nor sun nor moon. I am seeking character, psychological penetration of a race, emotion, demonstration of a somewhat romantic vision... I want to paint from the heart and brain, but not from the eyes" (letter to Juan Pujol, February 8, 1912). After being displayed to resounding success in the United States in 1916 and 1917, the painting was acquired by the Spanish shipping magnate, Ramón de la Sota, after appearing in the 1st International Painting and Sculpture Exhibition of Bilbao in 1919. That same year, De la Sota donated the work to the recently-created Museum of Bilbao.

Retrato de la condesa Mathieu de Noailles by Ignacio Zuloaga (Spanish) - Oil on canvas / 1913 - Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao (Spain) #womeninart #art #IgnacioZuloaga #artwork #oilpainting #portraitofawoman #womensart #portrait #Zuloaga #SpanishArtist #fineart #beauty #MuseodeBellasArtesdeBilbao