Ramón Casas Barcelona 1866-1932

Charles Deering
Sale: Sala Parés, Barcelona, 1982, lot 26
Sale: Sotheby's, Madrid, 22 May 1982, lot 29
Galeria del Cisne, Madrid
Purchased by the present owner from the above in 1984

Barcelona, Sala Parés, Homenaje a Ramon Casas, 1982, no. 26 (titled Vestit Blanc)
Barcelona, Sala Parés, Rusiñol - Casas - Clarasó, 1983, no. 11 (titled La Parisienne)

P. Gener, 'Ramon Casas', Mundial Magazine, vol. I-II, no. 10, Paris, 1912, p. 351, illustrated
Alcolea Albero, Ramón Casas, Sabadell, 1990, p. 269, illustrated
Isabel Coll, Ramón Casas, Catálogo Razonado, Murcia, 2002, p. 115, illustrated; p. 400, no. 550, catalogued and illustrated

Original canvas. There are a few small spots of retouching towards the bottom edge of the work and a very small spot to the right of the woman just below her elbow visible under ultraviolet light. Apart from a few pinholes to the extreme edges of the work and some discolouration around the edges from frame rubbing, the paint surface is in very good overall condition with the artist's original impastos still intact. Held in a simple gilt wood frame.
"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."

Painted circa 1914, the present work is one of four paintings that together made up 'Las Cuatro Estaciones' (The Four Seasons). Renowned as a portraitist, painting the intellectual, economic and political elite of Barcelona, Paris, Madrid and beyond, 'Casas delighted the bourgeoisie with portraits that could be as fashionable or informal as the sitter required; and he delighted the general public with the boldness of his posters and (later) the joie de vivre of his decorations for Els Quatres Gats' (John Richardson, A Life of Picasso, Volume I, 1881-1906, London, 1991, p. 115).

Casas' portraits are of particular relevance in regard to his work as a poster artist. He began to engage in graphic design when he helped establish the artists' bar Els Quatre Gats, which was modelled on Le Chat Noir in Paris. But it was in his subsequent posters and postcards that he full developed the mere mannered art nouveau style which helped to define Catalan art movement known as Modernisme. During this period he was both influenced both by Toulouse Lautrec and the young Picasso.

Casas' customary sitters were the Catalan bourgeoisie, mainly women. These portraits acquired a sensual and decorative purpose with the models depicted in vaguely suggestive and provocative stances. The sitter in the present work was Julia Peraire, a young artist's model 22 years Casas's junior. He first painted her in 1906, when she was 18, and she soon became his favourite model and his lover. They were eventually married in 1922. Casas painted numerous portraits of Julia in varied clothing and poses, though the present work is unusual being a full-length portrait.

Julia is seen standing side on to the viewer though her glance is directly at us. Her stance is composed, yet in Casas's delicate treatment of her eyes she acquires a suggestive air. The soft brushstrokes used over the rest of the canvas draw our attention to the more finished details of the model's face highlighting the subtle sentiments of the work.