Hermenegildo Anglada-Camarasa

Acquired by the present owner in the early 1980's

Madrid, Salas del Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, España fin de siglo. 1898, 1998, no. 118, illustrated in the catalogue
Palma de Mallorca, Girona, Oviedo and Lleida, Fundació La Caixa, Pintors espagnols a Paris, 1880-1910, 1999, no. 5, illustrated in the catalogue

Carlos González & Montse Martí, Pintores españoles en París, Barcelona, Tusquets, 1989 

The panel is flat, even, and ensuring a stable support. Ultra-violet light reveals some small scattered spots of cosmetic retouching, notably in the figure to the left and closer to the right edge, some of which are also visible to the naked eye upon close inspection. Parts of the signature also fluoresce when inspected under UV. This work is overall in good condition and ready to hang. Presented in a decorative gilt frame with a nameplate. Colours are brighter and less blue than in the catalogue illustration.
"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."

This work dates from Anglada's first extended stay in Paris, between 1897-1904, during which he developed and indulged his taste for the demi-mondaine lifestyle to be enjoyed in the city.

Typically, Anglada's figures are enveloped in opulent flowing evening wear and large hats, their identity steeped in ambiguity. Though ostensibly society women, their shadowy, seductive presence calls to mind the high-class courtisanes who mingled with fashionable society. In the present work, the attention of two spectre-like women sweeping through a Paris café-concert is drawn by an object or person outside the picture plane, adding to the sense of mystery. Anglada's atmospheric, almost eerie nocturne is punctuated only by the bright lights of the dance hall in the background.

Stylistically and ideologically, Anglada was inextricably linked to Catalan Modernismo, in itself a branch of the Art Nouveau currents prevailing in the fine and decorative arts at the turn of the century. From the moment he first visited Paris in 1894, he abandoned the influence of his teacher at the Llotja School in Barcelona, Modest Urgell, to illustrate fin-de-siècle decadence. Immersing himself in the music and dance halls and cafés-concerts of Paris, Anglada-Camarasa created elegant and provocative images of modern life.