María Luisa de la Riva

MARÍA LUISA DE LA RIVA (Zaragoza, 1865-Madrid, 1926).
"Still life of flowers", 1879.
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Preserves period frame.
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 37 x 46 cm; 56 x 66 cm (frame).
This work constitutes an early testimony of the production of María Luisa de la Riva, Spanish painter specialized in still lifes and vases, genre in which she reached a remarkable national and international recognition. Executed when the artist was barely fourteen years old, the canvas already reveals a surprising technical maturity and a chromatic sensitivity that anticipates the solidity of her later career.
The composition presents a basket overflowing with flowers in the foreground, on a neutral surface and against a light and atmospheric background. Peonies, carnations, daisies and other varieties are intertwined in a dynamic ensemble, enlivened by the presence of butterflies that introduce a slight narrative accent. The treatment of light, soft and enveloping, models the petals with delicacy, while the color, vibrant in reds and pinks, tinged with whites and blues, builds a balance between naturalism and decorative effect. The brushstroke, loose but precise in the floral details, responds to a realistic tradition that links with the heritage of the Spanish still life of the Golden Age, reinterpreted from the fin-de-siècle sensibility.
Trained with the sculptor Mariano Bellver and the painter Antonio Pérez Rubio, María Luisa de la Riva developed a career marked by exhibition success. She participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, obtaining honorable mention in the National Fine Arts Exhibitions of 1887 and 1895, third medals in 1897 and 1901 for Grapes from Spain and Summer Fruits, and a second medal in 1920 for Grapes and Pomegranates. She was also distinguished at the Universal Exhibitions of Paris (1889) and Barcelona (1898). Her prestige transcended the Spanish sphere: she was a member of the Society of Artists of Berlin and Vienna, honorary member of the Economic Society of Friends of the Country of Santiago de Compostela, and received the Palm of the French Academy and the order of Nicham Iftikhar of Tunisia.