Josep Tapiró Baró

Private collection, Europe; (sale: Sotheby's, London, 30 May 2008, lot 82)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Reus, Casa Tapiró, 1885
Barcelona, 1885
London, Myer & Son Gallery, 1885
Barcelona, Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Josep Tapiró. Painter of Tangier, 2014, illustrated in the catalogue (as Planter militar)

'Señor Tapiró's Drawings', in The Times, London, 6 June 1885, p. 6, discussed
La Ilustración Artistica, Año VI, no. 267, Barcelona, 7 November 1887, p. 42, illustrated

The watercolour is overall in very good, fresh condition, with no tears or creases. The sheet is not glued down, and held to its mount with small pieces of conservator's paper tape along the edges. There is just a little foxing along the upper edge on the right, and slight time staining along the edges, but the overall impression is of a very vivid, crisp watercolour.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Depicting a group of young boys playing city guards on the ramparts of the city fortifications built around the Medina of Tangiers by Pasha Er Riffi, The Young Recruits displays Tapiró's love of detailed, ethnographic observation, as well as his technical accomplishment in his chosen medium. Tapiró's work has often be compared to that of his contemporary and close friend, Mariano Fortuny. Fortuny and Tapiró studied together at the schools of fine art of Reus and Barcelona, and Tapiró even received a bravery medal for having saved Fortuny from drowning. In 1857 the two friends embarked on a study trip that took them from Spain to Rome, then Morocco (1860), back to Rome (1863), on to Grenada (1871) and back to Morocco (1872). In 1876, following Fortuny's death, Tapiró settled permanently in Tangiers.

Tapiró exhibited the present work along with three others in London in 1885, showing them to the public at Abraham Myer's Gallery on New Bond Street and to the Prince of Wales at Marlborough House. Described as 'four very remarkable drawings of Arab life at Tangier' in The Times, their positive reception followed the artist's successful London exhibition in 1883.