José Cusachs y Cusachs,
Spanish 1851-1908-

Elegant figures riding in a horse-dr…

Description

José Cusachs y Cusachs, Spanish 1851-1908- Elegant figures riding in a horse-drawn carriage; oil on canvas, signed 'J. Cusachs' (lower right), 34.8 x 49.6 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: José Cusachs y Cusachs initially served as a soldier, fighting in the Third Carlist War (1872-1876) before retiring in 1882 to become a painter, studying under Simó Gómez (1845-1880) and Édouard Detaille (1848-1912). Cusachs y Cusachs' paintings were heavily informed by his military experience, and also his fondness for horses, with the artist's oeuvre consisting largely of cavalry scenes. The present work is, therefore, at once characteristic of the artist, exhibiting his skill as an equestrian painter, whilst also marking something of a departure from his typical output, depicting a carefree civilian scene of elegantly-dressed figures riding in an open-topped carriage.

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José Cusachs y Cusachs,

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Estim. 220 - 330 GBP

Augarten Vienna "Trot - Spanish Riding School" from a series of various dressage lessons, designed by Alwin Döbrich in 1925, blue stamp mark 2nd half 20th cent, embossed inscription Made in Austria, model number 1592 and letter K, brush number 203 and inscription, naturalistic moulding and under- and overglaze painting as well as gold decoration, on an oval base a rider in uniform of the Spanish Riding School of the Hofburg Vienna, good condition, h 29.5 cm.

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JOSÉ CUSACHS Y CUSACHS (Montpellier, France, 1851 - Barcelona, 1908). "Newspaper seller", 1886. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated in the lower left corner. Measurements: 90 x 55 cm; 119.5 x 83.5 cm (frame). José Cusachs was born accidentally in France, since his parents were there on a trip, but his art and his life were always linked to two localities: Barcelona and Mataró. In 1865, after passing a competitive examination, he entered the Artillery Academy to pursue a military career. However, in 1882, after a brilliant career that led him to be Captain of the Army for war merits, he asked for retirement to devote himself to painting. Trained in Barcelona under the direction of Simón Gómez, he completed his artistic studies with a stay in Paris, in the studio of Édouard Détaille, one of the greatest experts in military themes, a genre that would be Cusachs' favorite. Within the military themes, this artist was especially inclined to cavalry, due to his passion for horses. In 1880 he settled in Barcelona and began an extensive production of military studies, which were reproduced in the work of F. Barado entitled "La vida militar en España" (Military life in Spain). Previously, before leaving the Army, he had worked as a caricaturist and chronicler of a Spain immersed in a maelstrom of political events, in which he was immersed due to his military condition. It was precisely the success of these early works that prompted him to finally abandon his previous career to focus on art. During these years he would make his work known through individual exhibitions, such as the ones he held regularly from 1884 at the Sala Parés in Barcelona, always obtaining great success in sales and critics. In 1890 he was already a regular exhibitor at the gallery, where he showed new works every week. The bond between Cusachs and the Sala Parés was so deep, in fact, that after the painter's death the gallery fell into a period of absolute decadence. Cusachs also participated in official competitions; in 1887 he obtained notable recognition at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid with three paintings, one of which was acquired by the regent María Cristina ("En el campo de maniobras"). In 1891 he participated in the Berlin Exhibition and won the Gold Medal for his work "Maneuvers of division". Cusachs also stood out as a famous military portraitist, and painted, among others, General Prim, King Alfonso XIII in military uniform and Mexican President Profirio Díaz. Other notable works by his hand are "The Flight to Egypt" (1904) from the Monastery of Montserrat, one of his few religious canvases, and "Abnegation" and "Distant Thought". Stylistically, Cusachs was a man open to innovation, although his work was always filtered through the filter of evaluation, study and meditation. Thus, he adopted those aspects he considered of value, and discarded the rest.

Courbette, Gerold porcelain, Tettau, Bavaria, 20th century, model no. 7083, equestrian figure modeled on the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, on an oval base with naturalistic top, fully sculpted depiction of a mounting horse with rider in uniform, after the design by Döblin, polychrome painted and ornamentally gilded, h. 29 cm

Capriole-Spanish Riding School, Augarten, Vienna, after 1945, 2nd choice, designed by Albin Döbrich 1926-27, model no. 1833, equestrian figure of the Spanish Riding School in the Hofburg in Vienna, on an oval base with naturalistic top, fully sculptured depiction of a leaping horse, led by a rider in uniform, white, h. 30 cm

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