José Villegas Seville 1848-Madrid 1921

Family of the previous owner since circa 1910
Acquired from the above by the present owner

La Illustración Española y Americana, Almanac, 1910
José Villegas Cordero, Córdoba, 2001, exh. cat., p. 274, illustrated

The canvas has been re-lined. There are scattered areas of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, notably to the sky and darker areas of the trees, and two repairs to the upper right quadrant, corresponding to patches on the reverse. Apart from some fine, scattered craquelure, this work is in good condition, with rich, bright colours. Held in a decorative, black and gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame.
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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."

The French seaside resort of Biarritz had become a popular destination not only for holiday makers but also for artists. Villegas had started spending part of his summers both in Biarritz and San Sebastián from 1905 onwards. There he executed Impressionist-inspired plein air scenes of the picturesque beaches and elegant ladies of these Basque towns. In 1906 Joaquín Sorolla, Villegas' pupil at the Spanish Academy in Rome, was also attracted to Biarritz, painting in a similar vein.  

Villegas peopled his charming landscapes with elegant ladies accompanied by mischievous little girls, directly inspired by his nieces. The artist's fondness for this subject can be seen in the capricious sophistication of En el parque  and Terraza en Biarritz. A modern sensibility punctuates the landscape in this belle-époque scene, amidst vapour-like trails of petticoats with the rapid brushstrokes gleaned from Impressionism.