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| La Venus de la poesía, 1913. |
Romero de Torres' work is very particular, easily identifiable; all the dark, indolent Spanish ladies slipping out of their clothes. When I view his work I can't help but notice that the quality and finish of his paintings are quite variable; some pieces are fairly crudely done and, given how much of his work has aged, I question the soundness of his technique. But what I always wonder first, when seeing the content of so much of his work, is how did he get away with it? I've always thought of Spain as being, until at least the middle of the twentieth century, incredibly conservative - repressed, censorious, superstitious - and under the thumb of the church; it's always been
the most Catholic country. And from what I've read, the rest of the world seemed to see it the same way. But for Romero de Torres to be as successful as he was, as celebrated, things must have loosened up earlier than I'd thought. Because there's
so much nudity in his work. And, most surprising to me, is his lavish use of the female nude in conjunction with religious iconography. Didn't the church holler at such effrontery? Wasn't the public shocked?
I'm shocked!
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| Alegrías, 1917. |
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| El pecado, 1913. |
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| Carmen de Córdoba, 1917. |
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| Retrato de Adela Carbone "La Tanagra", circa 1911. |
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| La chiquita piconera, 1930. |
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| La monja, 1911. |
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| Carmen y Fuensanta, 1925. |
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| El pozo, circa 1920s. |
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| Nieves, 1920. |
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| "Panneau", 1912. |
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| Meditación, circa 1910-1914. |
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| Joven de Córdoba recostada en una puerta, 1920. |
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| Muxidora, 1922. |
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| Gitana con jarrón grande, 1921. |
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| La niña del cántaro, 1927. |
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| La escupeta de caza, 1929. |
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| Amor sagrado, amor profano, 1908. |
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| Rivalidad, 1925-1926. |
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| Cabeza de santa, 1925. |
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| La buenaventura, circa 1922. |
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| Niña de la Ribera, 1915. |
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| Las dos sendas, 1915. |
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| Retrato de señorita de Alfonso, 1924. |
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| Retrato de Carmen Otero, circa 1913-14. |
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| Carmen, 1915. |
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| En jueves santo, circa 1920s. |
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| La musa gitana, 1908. |
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| La nieta de Trini, 1929. |
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| Nuestra Señora de Andalucía, 1907. |
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| Retrato de la condesa de Casa Rojas, 1905. |
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| Naranjas y limones, 1927. |
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| La Fuensanta, 1929. |
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| Retrato de Raquel Meller con mantilla, circa 1910. |
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| La Virgen de los faroles, 1928. |
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| Contrariedad, 1919. |
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| La saeta, 1918. |
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| La gracia, 1914. |
*
Julio Romero de Torres (9 November 1874, Córdoba – 10 May 1930, Córdoba), Spanish painter. The youngest son of painter Rafael Romero Barros, his first training was with his father who was also the founder, director, and curator of Córdoba's
Escuela Provincial de Bellas Artes. Given his family - his two older brothers were painters as well - it isn't surprising that he was interested in art from a young age; he began study at the school of fine arts when he was only ten. Later, he went on to win awards and he traveled extensively throughout Europe as he developed a personal style most closely aligned with the Symbolists. In 1906 and again in 1914 he relocated to Madrid, and when war broke out, he fought for the Allies as a pilot. In 1916 he became a professor of clothing design at the
Real Academia de Bellas Artes in Madrid. With his brother Enrique he traveled to Argentina in 1922, but he later became ill and was forced to return to Córdoba to recover. His condition continued to deteriorate, though, until he finally entered a state of delirium and died at the age of fifty-five. His former home now houses a museum dedicated to his work.
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| Self-portrait, 1898. |
