Francisco Iturrino Santander 1864-Cagnes su mer, France 1924

Painted circa 1907, the vibrant colouring, exotic setting and hieratic poses of the two female figures in the present work reflect Iturrino's strong ties with the Modern Movement in Paris at the beginning of the twentieth century, and contemporary interest in Primitivism and the paintings of the Fauves led by Matisse.  A particularly fine example from a key period in his work, Iturrino went on to make the paitning of the female figure a speciality, returning again to the pose of the left hand figure in the present work on another occasion (fig.1).

Born in Santander and raised in Bilbao, Iturrino moved with his parents to Brussels. There in 1890 he inscribed at the Academie St Josse-ten-Noode and soon came into contact with Henri Evenopoel who painted his portrait in 1899. The same year, on Evenepoel's recommendation, Iturrino joined La Libre Esthetique (as well as Evenopoel, fellow Spaniard Darío de Regoyos was also a member).  

It was in Paris, however, that Iturrino really flourished. There he met up with Picasso who was ten years his junior, and became friends with Toulouse-Lautrec. In the summer of 1901 Iturrino and Picasso held a joint exhibition at the gallery of the dealer Ambroise Vollard. One of the works on view was a portrait of Iturrino by Picasso of 1901 (fig. 2). Left unsold, Picasso later painted over it. According to Picasso's biographer John Richardson, Vollard much preferred Iturrino's work which was already showing the bright palette that the present work displays and which would come to characterise Iturrino's style. He had further exhibitions at Vollard's gallery in 1907 and 1911.

As Iturrino's interest in colour developed, however, so he became associated with Matisse, André Derain and the Fauves. Iturrino introduced Matisse to Spain: in 1908 Iturrino and Matisse travelled to Córdoba and Seville where they shared a studio. Two years later they were together again in Madrid. Then in 1911 Iturrino travelled with Matisse, Charles Camoin and James Wilson Morrice to Tangiers.

Tall and distinguished, with a swarthy complexion and a full beard, in his early days in Paris Iturrino became known as the 'Spaniard of Paris'. His strong northern Spanish mien and proud demeanour were not only captured by Picasso and Evenopoel, but also by Matisse (fig. 3) and Derain, both of whom did portraits of Iturrino in 1914, the same year that Picasso did a further likeness of him in a cubist style. 

After World War I when Iturrino's marriage had broken up, his health was failing and he had fallen on hard times, Picasso, Matisse and other artists that he had kept touch with since his time in Paris organised an appeal to raise money for him and provided much needed support during the last few years of his life.

Fig. 1, Francisco Iturrino, Española con Abanico, 104 by 78cm., Private Collection

Fig. 2, Photograph of Picasso, Mañach and Torres Fuster in front of Picasso's portrait of Iturrino, 1901.

Fig. 3, Henri Matisse, Iturrino, etching, 1914