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Angel Zárraga, like many other Latin American artists of his generation was drawn to Paris and the vanguard movements occurring there in the first quarter of the 20th Century. His development was strongly influenced by his many years working in Paris surrounded by the greatest innovators of the century. From the Pre-Raphaelite to his modern treatment of futbolistas, Zárraga continually explored new avenues of pictorial expression. Though his involvement with Cubism did not last long, he did in the short period of his fascination with the movement, produce some of his best works.
This untitled piece is certainly an extraordinary study for one of his known pieces of the Cubist period, La merienda de dos niñas, in which a subtly applied palette of greens and grays emit an atmosphere of intimacy between friends enjoying an afternoon snack. In this earlier work we see the same image from a greater distance, the edges and planes are less strongly defined and a darker palette of looser brushstrokes predominate. The work is a fascinating example of the artist's work process and serves to illustrate an intriguing moment in the conception of a work.

We are grateful to Professor Paulette Patout for confirming the attribution of this painting from a photograph and for her assistance in cataloguing the present lot.