VALENTIN ZUBIAURRE AGUIRREZÁBAL (Madrid, 1879 - 1963) ."Twilight".Oil on canvas.Signed in the

VALENTIN ZUBIAURRE AGUIRREZÁBAL (Madrid, 1879 - 1963) .
"Twilight".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Work exhibited at the Witcomb Salon in Buenos Aires, 1930. Referenced in the catalogue of the exhibition with n.84.
Measurements: 91 x 91 cm; 112 x 112 cm (frame).
This is a type of composition that Valentín Zubiaurre used repeatedly, and which here manages to express a genuine feeling: with the members of a family in the foreground (in this case, a grandmother and her grandchildren) and the Basque landscape opening up behind them, with fields, farmhouses and rocky outlines. In the self-absorbed faces, the contrast between the smoothness of the young faces and the aged skin of the old woman stands out. The ochre and sienna tones dominate the whole, lending the painting a melancholy patina. This work falls within the framework of the rise of regionalism in Spain in the second half of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century, with the development of an art with a Romantic, costumbrista and realist heritage, which focused on depicting subjects and characters that reflected a new sense of folklore. In this context, the painters sought to reflect the types and customs of their own land, which made it different and unique, thus vindicating their own roots and, above all, the traditions and ways of dressing and behaving that were threatened by the notable growth of urban areas and the imposition of new fashions brought in from outside.
The son of the musical composer of the same name, Valentín Zubiaurre was born deaf and dumb, like his younger brother Ramón, also a painter. He began his training with the painter Daniel Perea, who was also deaf and mute, before entering the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1894. There he was a pupil of Carlos de Haes, Muñoz Degrain, Ferrant and Moreno Carbonero, and at the same time completed his solid training by visiting the Prado Museum. In 1898 the two Zubiaurre brothers set out on a study trip that took them to France, Italy and the Netherlands. On their return to Spain they obtained a grant from the Diputación de Vizcaya in 1902, which enabled them to settle in Paris. There they attended classes at the Académie Julian, became acquainted with the modern trends then developing in the French capital and became interested in Impressionism. However, the Zubiaurre brothers were not receptive to its influence, owing mainly to the weight of their academic training and their admiration both for the Flemish and Italian primitives and for contemporary Spanish painters such as Darío de Regoyos and, especially, Ignacio Zuloaga. Valentín de Zubiaurre regularly sent his works to the National Exhibitions of Fine Arts and was awarded several prizes; in 1908 he won the second medal and in 1917 the first. He was also distinguished with prizes from foreign institutions, and won prizes in important international competitions held in the first decade of the 20th century, including those of Munich, Buenos Aires, Brussels, San Francisco, San Diego and the University of Panama. From the 1920s until the Civil War, the Zubiaurre brothers experienced their most successful and renowned period, both in Spain and internationally. After the war Valentín de Zubiaurre resumed his career in Spain, and his recognition became official with his appointment as a full member of the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1945, culminating in the medal of honour awarded to him at the 1957 National Exhibition of Fine Arts. He is currently represented in the Fine Arts Museums of Chicago, Buenos Aires, Paris, Luxembourg, Munich, Berlin, Tokyo, Pittsburg and San Diego, as well as in the main art galleries of the Basque Country, the Castagnino Museum in Argentina, the Reina Sofía National Art Centre, the BBVA collection and the Museum of Modern Art in Rome, among others, both public and private.