Rafael Romero y Barros Moguer 1832-Córdoba 1895

Acquired by the family of the present owners in the 1940s

This condition report has been provided by Hamish Dewar, Hamish Dewar Ltd. Fine Art Conservation, 14 Masons Yard, Duke Street, St James's, London SW1Y 6BU. EXAMINATION / TREATMENT REPORT UNCONDITIONAL AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE Rafael Romero y Barros "The Fair at Seville" oil on canvas Structural Condition The canvas is unlined on a traditional wooden stretcher. There is one small patch in the upper left quadrant as viewed from the reverse. The vertical and horizontal stretcher-bar lines are raised and visible and there are scattered paint losses, particularly in the upper left corner and along the lower horizontal stretcher-bar line. It may be felt that the canvas has reached the stage where lining is now required but could probably be avoided with localized structural consolidation. Paint Surface The paint surface has a very discoloured varnish layer and cleaning would certainly result in a considerable colour change and a great improvement in the overall appearance. A few small, scattered retouchings are visible under ultra-violet light, the most significant of which are: 1) an area approximately 2 cm in diameter, corresponds to the patch mentioned above, in the upper right of the paint surface, 2) 3 small areas, each approximately 1 cm in diameter, in the upper right corner, 3) very thin, broken diagonal lines approximately 3 and 6 cms in length, and 4) retouchings along the lower horizontal stretcher bar line. There are other small scattered retouchings. Summary The painting is therefore in rather fragile condition at present but I would be very optimistic as to the success (and transformation) of cleaning, restoration and revarnishing.
"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."

Painted in Seville, the present work depicts the teeming activity of a fair on the Prado de San Sebastián, a prairie outside Seville where the cattle market was held. Filled with people in all types of colourful dress busy carrying out all manner of activities, Romero Barros' painting is astonishing in its detail.

Soldiers on horseback flank the right hand edge; elegant ladies in flowing shawls and silk dresses pass by horse traders with donkeys; shepherds rest their flock; a lady dances the flamenco on a stage beneath an elaborate tented awning, next to her another woman fries choux. The crowded landscape punctuated by elegant white tents stretches far into the distance.

In the background are the spires of Seville. The Palace of San Telmo owned by the Duke of Montpensier is to the left of the composition; beside it the main city gate is bedecked with flags. To the right is the cathedral, the Giralda tower and the church of San Salvador.

Romero Barros' depiction of the scene was greatly influenced by earlier painters of Seville, amongst them Manuel Barros (1814-1884), Antonio Cabral Bejarano, Joaquín Domínguez Becquer and Manuel Rodriguez de Guzmán. His immediate source of inspiration, however, was Andrés Cortés y Aguilara who painted two versions of this view. The first, dated 1846, was donated by Count Ybarra to Seville Town Hall, the second, dated 1852, is in the Museo de Bellas Artes, Bilbao.

Like the paintings by Cortés, Romero Barros gives a lot of attention to Count Ybarra and his wife María Dolores González, who are depicted together in an open topped carriage to the left of centre. The artist also included himself in the foreground, seated next to a little girl with a hoop with his back to the viewer sketching the scene and watched intently by a dog.

Raised in Córdoba, Romero y Barros trained in Seville under the landscape painter Manuel Barrón. Married in 1859 to Maria Rosa Torres, the couple returned to Córdoba in 1862. There Romero y Barros was appointed conservator of the Museum of Fine Arts, becoming director of the museum in 1877. A teacher at the Córdoba Academy of Fine Arts, he also founded the Museum of Archaeology and was a member of the Monument Commission. With Maria Rosa he had eight children; three of his sons, Julio, Enrique and Rafael went on to become established artists, the best known of whom is Julio Romero de Torres (see lots 181 & 197).