José María Chaves

JOSÉ MARÍA CHAVES (Seville, 1839- 1903)
"Escena galante".
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 46 x 35 cm; 62,5 x 52 cm (frame).
José Chaves Ortiz was an outstanding figure of the Spanish artistic panorama of the 19th century, whose production is framed within the scope of the costumbrismo and the bullfighting theme, two very representative genres of the pictorial imaginary of the time. Trained at the School of Fine Arts in Seville, he was academically influenced by masters such as Eduardo Cano and Manuel Barrón, who decisively marked his stylistic and thematic orientation. His artistic career was characterized by a remarkable technical versatility and a clear narrative vocation, both in painting and illustration.
Chaves Ortiz was an expert in various artistic techniques, including oil, pastel, watercolor, engraving and drawing, which allowed him to work with ease in multiple formats and media. Among his most representative works are Caída mortal (1863), Los que saben divertirse (1879) and Torero con mujer (1884), pieces in which both his compositional mastery and his acute observation of the popular Andalusian world are evident. His interest in bullfighting was not only expressed in his canvases, but also in his work as an illustrator in specialized publications, especially his collaboration in the magazine La Brega, together with other prestigious illustrators such as Daniel Perea and Ángel Lizcano.
In addition to his pictorial facet, he developed an intense work as a cartoonist and caricaturist, illustrator of books and periodical press, as well as portraitist and author of religious works. In this last field it is worth mentioning the canvases dedicated to Saint Peter Nolasco and Saint Rose of Lima, commissioned in 1893 and sent to Cuba, which shows the international projection of his work. His technical ability, especially in drawing and engraving, was also recognized in his role as a teacher, an activity from which he transmitted his skill to new generations.
His artistic and family legacy continued through his son Manuel Chaves Rei and his grandson Manuel Chaves Nogueres, who also excelled in the cultural field.