Santiago Rusiñol

Sala Parés, Barcelona, by 1960
Private collection, Spain (by 1970)

Barcelona, Sala Parés, 1890, no. 41
Barcelona, Homenatge del Cercle Artístic, 1932
Barcelona, Sala Parés, Medio siglo atrás, 1944, no. 11
Madrid, Salón Vilches, 1944, no. 6
Barcelona, Real Círculo Artístico, Exposición Homenaje, 1956 
Girona, Sala Municipal, Exposición Homenaje, 1957, no. 16 (with incorrect dimensions 70 by 110cm.)
Barcelona, Sala Parés, Exposició Extraordinària de quadres cèlebres, 1960, no. 22
Barcelona, Santa Creu, Exposición S. Rusiñol, no. 20
Barcelona, Sala Parés-Ajuntament de Barcelona, 1969, no. 30
Barcelona, Sala Parés, Centenari de la Sala Parés, 1977, no. 52

La Vanguardia, 17 October 1890, illustrated on the cover
Heidi Johanna Roch, Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931). Ein Beitrag zur Kunst des augehenden 19 Jhs. in Katalonien, Frankfurt am Main, 1983, fig. 8, illustrated
Josep de C. Laplana, Santiago Rusiñol, el pintor, l'home, Albadia de Montserrat, 1995, p. 484, no. 4.2.11, catalogued & illustrated
Josep de C. Laplana & Mercedes Palau-Ribes, La pintura de Santiago Rusiñol. Catàleg sistemàtic, Barcelona, 2004, vol. III, p. 31, no. 4.2.14, catalogued & illustrated

The canvas has not been lined. There is a faint pattern of craquelure consistent with the fact the work is unlined, and just a few very minor pinhead-sized scattered spots of paint flaking, primarily in the dark background (visible under close inspection). Ultraviolet light reveals a few scattered minor spots of retouching in the background, notably in the ground in the lower centre, a thin line to the right of the large rightmost column, and to the upper part of the right framing edge. This painting is in good condition. Held in a decorative gilt frame with a cloth-covered liner. The colours are richer and more contrasted than in the catalogue illustration, with less red overall.
"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 1889-90, this important early work belongs to the series Rusiñol painted in Barcelona upon his return from his sojourn in Paris with fellow artist Ramón Casas. In contrast to Rusiñol’s later impressionistic landscapes, both compositionally and stylistically Lavadero de la Barceloneta shows the influence of French painting, as well as the naturalism championed by the novelist Emile Zola. The humble subject matter of laundresses at work, and the restrained colour palette, would have been regarded as highly avant garde back in Catalonia, turning Rusiñol into the undisputed leader of Catalan Modernism.