José Montenegro Capell

JOSE MONTENEGRO CAPELL (Cadiz, 1865 - Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, 1929).
"Jerez courtyard with laundry".
Oil on panel.
Signed and located in the lower right corner.
Period frame with some lack.
Measurements: 26 x 41 cm; 39 x 53 cm (frame).

Jose Montenegro was born in Cadiz, being a mystery his formation, the contacts maintained with other artists or the exact year in which he arrived to Jerez. His life is surrounded by a halo of legend, and in fact the people have invented a thousand stories around his figure, considering him a new Velázquez. He focused his production on the Andalusian costumbrista landscape, with special attention to the Hispano-Muslim architectures, taking his models mainly from Cadiz, Jerez and Seville. His style shows a certain influence of the so-called School of Rome, although with a marked regionalist accent. Montenegro arrived in Jerez attracted by the work possibilities that were open to him in a prosperous place full of bourgeoisie enriched by the wine trade. However, he would soon become a true exponent of the local bohemian life at the beginning of the 20th century. He died in the Hospital de Santa Isabel de Cádiz in 1929, due to a liver problem. Montenegro is currently represented in numerous private collections, mainly in Jerez de la Frontera, where he is still highly appreciated today.