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17436
The Barber of Seville By Luis Alvarez Catalá
The Barber of Seville By Luis Alvarez Catalá
Dimensions: H: 18.5 in / 47 cm | W: 26.5 in / 67.5 cm
17436
The Barber of Seville
By Luis Alvarez Catalá
Executed in oil on canvas, housed in a giltwood frame, the painting depicting an 18th century domestic scene in the Costumbrismo style including well-dressed figures such as the barber, the priest and the lady at her piano within an opulent rococo setting. Signed and dated, bottom right, "L. Alvarez / Roma 1878."
Luis Alvarez Catalá (1836-1901)
Luis Alvarez Catalá was born in Spain and started painting under the tutelage of Raimundo de Madrazo at the renowned painting school in Madrid. He left his homeland at the early age of sixteen, heading for Italy where he embarked on a Grand Tour before settling down in Rome.
Alvarez became a frequent and celebrated exhibitor at many of the 19th century's international exhibitions. His accolades included prestigious medals awarded in Madrid during 1862 and 1864, and further triumphs in Munich, Berlin, and Paris in 1890. Such international recognition culminated in Alvarez's appointment as the Director of Madrid's Museo del Prado.
With a remarkable mastery of the brush and his unwavering commitment to the minutest details, Alvarez won acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. His painting, The Barber of Seville, deserves high praise in this regard, capturing not only the well-dressed characters in vivid details, but also the resplendent surroundings. Alvarez's distinctive palette of clear, pastel hues and impeccable brushwork vividly captures and renders the scene.
In a manner evoking the artistic styles of luminaries like Arturo Ricci, Vittorio Reggianini, and Frederic Soulacroix, Alvarez employed his compositions as a canvas to depict impeccably attired figures steeped in the elegance of 18th-century fashion, all set against a backdrop of opulence. These works struck a chord with the 19th-century nouveau riche, who sought refuge in the past, yearning for a refinement they felt had waned in their contemporary world.
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