Horacio Ferrer de Morgado

HORACIO FERRER DE MORGADO (Córdoba, 1894–Madrid, 1978).
“Hunting Scene.”
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 150 x 204 cm; 154 x 208 cm (frame).
Moving beyond a mere anecdotal depiction of the hunting theme, the composition transcends narrative to create a scene with a distinctly classical character, where nature, the human figure, and movement come together in a carefully ordered, harmonious space. The scene is structured through a complex compositional arrangement. In the foreground, an elegantly dressed couple provides a counterpoint of serenity to the dynamism of the hunting party unfolding in the background, while the greyhounds chase their prey along a diagonal that lends the painting a restrained rhythm. The idealization of the figures, the precise modeling, and the suspended atmosphere reveal Ferrer’s assimilation of the tenets of the “return to order”—a movement that, following the historical avant-garde, advocated for the recovery of classical tradition through solid draftsmanship, balanced space, and a timeless beauty.
The artist’s stay in Italy between 1934 and 1935, on a fellowship from the Junta para Ampliación de Estudios, proved decisive in the consolidation of this artistic language, as this scene clearly reflects. There, he delved deeper into the study of mural painting and the fresco technique, while also coming into contact with the approaches championed by Valori Plastici and the German Neue Sachlichkeit—influences that are evident in the monumentality of the figures, the constructive clarity, and the refined emotional restraint that characterize this composition.
Horacio Ferrer de Morgado was an artist from Córdoba who, in addition to his work as a painter, carried out important work as a restorer, contributing to the restoration of notable historic sites, including the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity in La Granja de San Ildefonso, thereby contributing to the preservation of Spain’s artistic heritage. His work is represented in various public and private collections, including the Reina Sofía National Art Museum, the Prado Museum, the Córdoba Museum of Fine Arts, and the National Art Museum of Catalonia, as well as in major private collections both in Spain and abroad.