Rogelio de Egusquiza

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This canvas has an old, thin glue lining which nicely stabilizes the paint layer while not compromising the impasto, particularly in the dress. The paint layer is slightly dirty. There are a few old retouches in the bottom of the dress in the lower right corner, perhaps in a few spots to the right of the head in the background, above the screen, on the right side and elsewhere there are a few spots here and there. However, the picture is in lovely state and will most likely improve if the paint layer were to be cleaned, varnished and retouched.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The Paris studios attracted hundreds of young European and American artists, who flocked to France for an opportunity to study with the French masters.  One of Spain's best-known painters was Rogelio de Egusquiza, who exemplified the universality of the French system.  Artists from diverse cultures and backgrounds came together in Paris.  What resulted in their works was a viewpoint that was inherently French, thus underscoring the influence and authority of the artistic establishment in France in the nineteenth century.

Following trips to Paris as a boy, Egusquiza returned to study with Léon Bonnat, taking up residence in the French capital in 1868.   A decade later, Egusquiza's studio in the fashionable Faubourg St. Honoré district became a regular meeting place for artists, writers and musicians.  Lady in Pink most likely dates from this period.  Like his contemporaries, most notably artists such as Alfred Stevens, James Tissot and even Edouard Manet, Egusquiza found his "muse" in the contemporary woman of Paris society.  Here, he shows his model in a dress made of the finest pink satin and lace, most likely the latest design from the famed Maison Paquin on the Rue de la Paix.   The setting is a well appointed interior of fine French furniture and the requisite Japanese screen.  The same type of subject - beautifully dressed women contemplating works of art - was also found in contemporary works by Stevens and Tissot (figs. 1 and 2), again confirming that although these artists were foreign by birth (Belgian, English and Spanish), what resulted was a subject and style that could only have been characterized as French during the Belle Époque.