Madrid School: c. 1870- 1880.

Madrid School: c. 1870- 1880.
"View of the Paseo del Prado in front of the Apollo fountain".
Oil on panel.
Presents faults.
It has a frame of the time.
Measurements: 31 x 30 cm; 45 x 43 cm (frame).
This work is inscribed in the tradition of the urban costumbrismo of the end of the XIX century, with a clear attention to the daily life and to the social animation of the public space. The crowded scene is constructed by means of a loose and vibrant brushstroke, more interested in suggesting atmosphere and movement than in minute detail. The color, applied with a certain freedom, and the partial dissolution of the forms bring the work closer to a language close to modern realism with impressionist echoes, where the light and the rhythm of the crowd acquire prominence.
In this sense, the work has clear aesthetic similarities with the painting of Lucas Villamil, especially in the shared interest in popular scenes and the representation of urban life as a collective spectacle. Both artists use lively compositions, populated by numerous figures, and a loose brushstroke that prioritizes the general impression over individual detail. They also coincide in their taste for capturing the social pulse of the moment and for integrating architecture and crowd in the same vibrant atmosphere, reinforcing a modern, dynamic and deeply linked to the daily experience of the city.