Julio Romero de Torres

Fernando 'Claridades' Gillis (bullfighter; possibly acquired through the charity bullfight in Alcalá de Henares for which the present work was originally commissioned)
Galería José R. Ortega, Madrid
Purchased from the above by the present owner circa 1995

La Fundación Caja de Ahorros de Vitoria y Álava; Caja Segovia, Un Mundo de Seducción de Julio Romero de Torres, 1998, no. 19

Mercedes Valverde Candil, 'Las Mujeres de Julio Romero', Colección Córdoba, vol. 1, Córdoba, 1996, pp. 39-40

Unexamined out of frame and under glass, the sheet is in good condition. This work is in overall very good condition, with rich, fresh colours. Held in a simple, black and gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present work exhibits Romero's admiration for a fellow Cordóban, the famed singer Dolores Castro Ruiz (1902-1965), known as 'Dora la Cordobesita' or 'La Niña'.

Painted in the early 1920s, at the peak of La Niña's career as a singer and entertainer, when she had just enjoyed a triumphant run at the Teatro Romea in Madrid, the present work is one of three known portraits of La Niña by Romero, the others being A la Espalda de una Guitarra and the design for the liqueur Anís 'La Cordobesa' (fig. 1). La Niña found fame in the greatest theatres and music-halls of Spain, and married the Sevillian bullfighter Manuel 'Chicuelo' Jiménez in 1927 in Cordóba.

Although Romero de Torres spent most of his life in Madrid and in his native Córdoba, his extensive travels in Europe and Argentina opened his eyes to the viewpoints of Symbolism, Realism and Impressionism. Women of all social classes posed for Romero at his easel, from prostitutes to society hostesses, and when he died, every shop, theatre and bar in Córdoba closed its doors and the whole city poured onto the streets for his funeral.