Darío de Regoyos

Octave Maus, acquired in 1888 (1856 – 1919; Belgian art critic, writer, and lawyer. Maus co-founded the weekly L'Art moderne review in 1881 and was secretary of the Les XX group)
Sale: Durán, Madrid, 23 February 1993, lot 28

Brussels, V. Salon des XX, 4th February 1888, no. 4
Brussels, Salon de la Libre Esthetique, Homage à Darío de Regoyos, 1914 
Paris, Galerie Choiseul, 1914      
Barcelona, Galería Mayoral, Pintura de los dos últimos siglos, 1998
Madrid, Feriarte, 1998
Santillana, Torre Don Borja, Darío de Regoyos, Impresiones del Norte, 2000, illustrated in the catalogue
Madrid, Fundación Cultural Mapfre, Darío de Regoyos, 2002-03, illustrated in the catalogue

La Recherche de la lumière dans la peinture, Brussels, 1888
'Les Impressionistes, Les XX' in La Reforme, Paris, 14 February 1888 
Revue indépendante, Paris, March 1888, p. 461, cited
'Les XX' in Le Cri du Peuple, Paris, 9 March 1888          
'Impressions de l'artiste Darío de Regoyos', L'Art Moderne, no. 8, 1888, p. 235
Juan San Nicolás, Darío de Regoyos, 1990, p. 72, illustrated         
La Guía del Ocio, 21-29 November 1998, Madrid
AntiQuaria Revista de Arte, November 1998
Juan San Nicolás, Los XX. El Nacimiento de la Pintura Moderna en Bélgica, exh. cat., Fundación Mapfre Vida, Madrid, 2001. p. 112, cited 
Juan San Nicolás, Darío de Regoyos, Catálogo Razonado, Madrid, 2014, p. 143, no. 144, catalogued & illustrated 
 

The canvas has not been lined. There is some fine scattered drying craquelure, notably in the green impasto in the lower half of the composition. Ultra-violet light reveals some areas of opaque discoloured varnish and finely applied lines of in-painting in the aforementioned craquelure. Scattered spots of cosmetic retouching are also visible notably in the far lower left corner, in the rooftop to the right edge, and in the extreme upper framing edge. The work is in good condition and ready to hang. Presented in a decorative frame.
"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 1887, Marché en Navarre belongs to Regoyos’s series of paintings La España Negra (Dark Side of Spain), which set out to capture the true soul of nineteenth-century Spain and the challenges it faced in the wake of the industrial revolution. The series led to the publication of the eponymous essay, written by Belgian poet Emile Verhaeren and illustrated with 34 woodcuts by Regoyos, in L’Art Moderne, the review of Les XX, the Belgian avant-garde group to which both men belonged. La España Negra was later translated into Spanish and published in Barcelona. It shows a powerful, visionary approach to landscape and people and was celebrated by many of Regoyos’ contemporaries. 

Born in Ribadesella, Asturias, Regoyos enrolled at the Escuela de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de S Fernando in Madrid, where he studied under the landscape painter Carlos de Haes in 1877. In 1879 he moved to Brussels, a defining journey for the artist. Here, he became friends with members of the avant garde Les XX, including painters Frantz Charlet, James Ensor, Rodolphe Wytsman, and Octave Maus (the first owner of the present work), before joining the group himself. Les XX were closely attuned to the 'New Painting', later known as Impressionism, in France. In 1887 Georges Seurat exhibited Un dimanche d’été à l’île de la Grande Jatte at Les XX, and Paul Signac later joined the group. Their influence can be seen in the pointillist technique Regoyos adopted in his España Negra series as well as in his later works.