George Owen Wynne Apperley

GEORGE OWEN WYNNE APPERLEY (England, 1884 – Tangier, 1960).
“Arab Woman.”
Watercolor on paper.
Signed in the upper right corner.
Measurements: 27 x 19 cm; 48 x 40 cm (frame).
George Owen Wynne Apperley belonged to a Welsh aristocratic family, which provided him with a comfortable financial situation. From a young age, he was drawn to painting and, against his family’s wishes, enrolled at the Herkomer Academy. His artistic training was further enriched by a trip to Italy, where he was captivated by the Mediterranean light and created works depicting local customs and landscapes. After marrying in secret in 1907, he moved with his wife to Lugano (Switzerland), before returning to London. In 1914, he traveled to Spain and settled permanently in Madrid two years later, only to move to Granada a year after that, where he became established and associated with local painters such as Francisco Soria Aedo and López Mezquita. When the Second Republic was proclaimed, he moved to Tangier (Morocco), where he developed an interest in new Orientalist themes, and where he died. His work was exhibited in the various countries where he lived; of particular importance was an exhibition in 1918 inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia of Battemberg, an event that marked a significant rise in his prestige. His work is preserved in prominent private collections and in institutions such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Málaga, the Art Museum of the Palace of Brussels, the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts of Tandil in Buenos Aires (Argentina), the Sydney Museum (Australia), and others.