MANUEL BENEDITO VIVES Valencia (1875) / Madrid (1963) "Eula

Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower left. The work will appear in Benedito's catalogue raisonne under number 0205. Preparatory studies for this portrait are preserved. The sitter and her husband, Carlos Urcola, were very good clients of Benedito and important art collectors. Among other works, they purchased one of his most outstanding paintings, Breton Mother (1905), which won first prize at the National Exhibition of 1906. Benedito portrayed her on three occasions. In this painting, she is seated on a small divan, dressed in a gown in gold tones, gauze, and a shawl that blends seamlessly with the fabric of the seat. The painter revels in the multitude of textures and details in the fabrics, rendered with a loose brushstroke that contrasts with the precise and expressive features of the sitter's face. The painting conveys an image of security, well-being, and high social standing enjoyed by the sitter. Dimensions: 177 x 131 cm