Luis Alvarez Catalá

The Estate of Luis Alvarez Catalá, Madrid, 1901, inventory no. 1
Los Condes de San Mateo de Valparaiso (acquired from an heir of the above)
Thence by descent through the family

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: The painting has been restored recently and could be hung in its current condition. The canvas has been lined; the paint layer has been cleaned and varnished. Although the paint layer under ultraviolet light reads slightly strongly for some pigments, as far as we can tell, these darker areas do not correspond to retouching and it is the peculiarities of the paint that are causing uneven fluorescence. Overall the picture seems to be in beautiful condition.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Luis Alvarez Catalá was among the most distinguished members of the Spanish School in Rome.  After studying at the San Fernando School in Madrid he won a scholarship to the Italian capital, where he attended the Chigi Academy and became a close friend of Mariano Fortuny.  Alvarez quickly established himself as the painter par excellence of conversation pieces set in eighteenth century interiors, which found a ready market both in Italy and in Spain.

The eighteenth century assumed an almost mythic significance for nineteenth century bourgeois Europe. It was the age of elegance, a trait which many people felt to be lacking in contemporary society. The new rich in particular looked back with admiration and even nostalgia to a society in which the aristocrat held sway. Emulation of aristocratic taste and acquisition of social approval were at the root of the taste for paintings of elegant people in luxurious surroundings.