José Benlliure

JOSÉ BENLLIURE GIL (Valencia, 1855–1937).
"Moroccan Village."
Oil on panel.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 18 x 26 cm; 42 x 49 cm (frame).

The brother of painter Juan Antonio and sculptor Mariano, José Benlliure focused on genre scenes and portraiture. He began his artistic studies under Francisco Domingo in Valencia, then continued his training in Madrid, where he settled in 1869. In 1879, he moved to Rome, where he served as director of the Spanish Academy of Fine Arts from 1903 to 1913. In 1897, he traveled to Tangier, Algeria, and Morocco, where he produced brighter, freer works influenced by Impressionism. Beginning in 1900, his work depicted folk themes. He was an honest and sensitive painter, and his works with folk themes—such as the one presented here, featuring scenes rendered in a direct and spontaneous manner—were particularly noteworthy. He participated in the National Fine Arts Exhibitions, winning third-place medals in the 1876 and 1878 editions and first place in the 1887 edition. He was a member of the Academies of San Fernando (Madrid), San Lucas (Rome), San Carlos (Valencia), Brera (Milan), and Munich. The most significant portion of his body of work is preserved in Valencia, at his House Museum and the San Pío V Museum of Fine Arts. His works are also represented at the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the Palace of Charles V in Granada, among others.