Santiago Rusiñol

Acquired in Argentina by the great-uncle of the present owners before 1931

Cuenco, Ateneo Conquense, 1916
Barcelona, Sala Parés, Santiago Rusiñol, 1917, no.10 (as Cases Penjades)

Pedro Camio, Artistas Catalanes, Madrid, 1929, vol. II, p. 19, illustrated
Josep de C. Laplana, Santiago Rusiñol, el pintor, l'home, Abadía de Montserrat, Biblioteca Abat Oliba 151, 1995, pp. 426-427, no. 18.1
Josep de C. Laplana & Mercedes Palau-Ribes, La pintura de Santiago Rusiñol. Catàleg sistemàtic, Barcelona, 2004, vol. III, p. 195, no. 18.1, catalogued & illustrated

Original canvas. Although there is some fluorescing evident under ultra-violet light, this appears to be the artist's original pigment, not retouching. Apart from some surface dirt overall, notably in the sky to the left of the hanging houses (just visible in the catalogue illustration) the work is in very good original condition. The painting would benefit from a surface clean.
"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 1916, the present work is one of seven paintings that Rusiñol completed in Cuenca between June and August that year. His depictions of the celebrated hanging houses of this medieval town and its deep gorge, reflects his continuing fascination for Cuenca and its environs. 

The charismatic leader of Catalan Modernism, and a founder of Els Quatre Gats in Barcelona, Rusiñol travelled widely and spent extended periods in Paris. Notwithstanding his position as a leading member of the international avant-garde, however, it was in Spain, away from the clamour of the Parisian metropolis, that he was able to explore the full range of his resonant palette and where many of his most powerful and evocative works were completed. It was in 1895, during a visit to Granada, that Rusiñol first discovered the beauty of landscape gardens, which henceforth became central to his oeuvre.