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Lot Essay
Portraiture fulfills a human need to see oneself rendered through visual representation. Hence, its long history as a potent record of humanity is well established. Ángel Zárraga skillfully executed numerous portraits throughout his artistic career as the artist's works were greatly sought after. Zárraga was influenced by 19th century French artists such as Jacques-Louis David and Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres but was also inspired by the pioneers of the modern portrait--Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh, among others.
Portraiture allowed him to experiment with new techniques and artistic vocabularies. He repeatedly rendered his image in full figure portraits throughout his entire artistic career; furthermore, he integrated them into larger compositions such as the canvas El pan y el agua (Bread and Water), 1911 and frequently inserted portraits of his friends, children and wife in other works and in mural decorations. In the journal Arte y letras (Mexico, Jan. 29, 1911), Zárraga wrote: "In portraits, I always attempt to draw attention to a single feature. The one that to me appears to capture the psyche of the person portrayed. My ideal would be that, next to that feature, all others would appear softened and subdued, contributing simply to highlight it."
Modern portraiture would be transformed by the Expressionists, Fauves, and Cubists. A new focus on man within the context of modern society replaced the traditional "commissioned" portrait. Among the paintings that Zárraga executed during the period between the two world wars which signal a return to a certain classicism, are, Retrato de mujer con astrolabio (Portait of a Woman with an Astrolabe), 1930 and, the portrait of writer and art critic, Eugenio D'Ors, 1931. The artist often used everyday objects in his studio and incorporated them or employed them as attributes for his sitters. These objects frequently highlight preferences of the sitter being portrayed. This is the case with Portrait of Woman with an Astrolabe. The beautiful woman in the blue dress embraces the astrolabe resting on a desk along with a symbolic book, and the famous art critic, in turn is shown together with his pencils and measuring ruler. The mysterious astrolabe, with its symbolism of the Zodiac, has always fascinated artists visually. "Seeker of stars," the astrolabe is an instrument used to determine the position of stars in the sky. It was invented by Hipparchus of Nicea in 150 BC and was introduced to Europe by the Arabs in the 10th century.
María Luisa Novelo Quintana
Huixquilucan, Mexico
29 March 2007
Portraiture allowed him to experiment with new techniques and artistic vocabularies. He repeatedly rendered his image in full figure portraits throughout his entire artistic career; furthermore, he integrated them into larger compositions such as the canvas El pan y el agua (Bread and Water), 1911 and frequently inserted portraits of his friends, children and wife in other works and in mural decorations. In the journal Arte y letras (Mexico, Jan. 29, 1911), Zárraga wrote: "In portraits, I always attempt to draw attention to a single feature. The one that to me appears to capture the psyche of the person portrayed. My ideal would be that, next to that feature, all others would appear softened and subdued, contributing simply to highlight it."
Modern portraiture would be transformed by the Expressionists, Fauves, and Cubists. A new focus on man within the context of modern society replaced the traditional "commissioned" portrait. Among the paintings that Zárraga executed during the period between the two world wars which signal a return to a certain classicism, are, Retrato de mujer con astrolabio (Portait of a Woman with an Astrolabe), 1930 and, the portrait of writer and art critic, Eugenio D'Ors, 1931. The artist often used everyday objects in his studio and incorporated them or employed them as attributes for his sitters. These objects frequently highlight preferences of the sitter being portrayed. This is the case with Portrait of Woman with an Astrolabe. The beautiful woman in the blue dress embraces the astrolabe resting on a desk along with a symbolic book, and the famous art critic, in turn is shown together with his pencils and measuring ruler. The mysterious astrolabe, with its symbolism of the Zodiac, has always fascinated artists visually. "Seeker of stars," the astrolabe is an instrument used to determine the position of stars in the sky. It was invented by Hipparchus of Nicea in 150 BC and was introduced to Europe by the Arabs in the 10th century.
María Luisa Novelo Quintana
Huixquilucan, Mexico
29 March 2007