Raimundo de Madrazo

Unlined. Previous repairs to breaks visible on right of the reverse. Under UV: Inpainting to aforementioned breaks in the settee, seated woman's blue dress, in the screen, and drapes at upper right. Spots of inpainting at upper left, dots and dashes in the background
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.

Born to a dynasty of Spanish painters, Madrazo began his training under his father Federico, followed by studies at the School of Fine Arts, Madrid and then under Léon Cogniet in Paris.  From 1860 he lived in Paris and frequently travelled to America where he, like his brother-in-law Mariano Fortuny and friend Giovanni Boldini, attracted the attention of some of the most powerful collectors of the era. The artist was precociously talented and highly respected for his technical ability evident in works like Flirtation, where he records the incredible details of a sumptuous, interior, elaborately described costumes, and the delightful rituals of courtship.  The room is decorated with eighteenth century furntiure, from the Louis XV white painted duchesse on which the woman reclines to the Louis XVI carved and giltwood stool on which her suitor perches. As in many of Madrazo’s best compositions, the present work is infused with gentle humor---as the chaperone is absorbed in her book, the terracotta bust of a child peers down at the elegant couple.