Mariano Fortuny Reus 1838-Rome 1874

Estate of the artist; thence by descent to Cecilia de Madrazo (the artist's widow)
Cia Pigatti Salviati (a student of Mariano Fortuny), acquired from the above; thence by descent to the present owner

The panel is sound. There are no retouchings evident under ultraviolet light and overall the work is in very good condition with bright colours throughout. Held under glass in an ornate plaster moulded gilt frame.
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Painted during the artist's stay in Granada, circa 1872, Niña en el jardín del artista exquisitely showcases Fortuny's exceptional ability at rendering detail and light.

Moving his young family to Realejo Bajo in Granada in the winter of 1871, Fortuny hoped to escape the distractions and commercial pressures that had hindered his painting during his time spent in Paris, Madrid and Rome. This desire for freedom was expressed in a letter from the artist to Baron Davillier: 'I want to have the pleasure of painting for myself. In this lies true painting.' The beauty and natural surroundings of Granada deeply inspired Fortuny. The luminosity of his work from this period, clearly evident in the present work and lots 176 and 177, can be compared to the spontaneous and light-infused technique of the Italian Macchiaioli with whom Fortuny had become very close during his time in Italy.

Fortuny favoured subjects close to his heart and not only did his small garden in Granada provide a popular backdrop for his compositions at this time, as in the present work, but it is likely that the young girl playing with her doll in Niña en el jardín del artista is the artist's own daughter, María Luisa, who would have been about 4 years of age.