Antonio Jose Estruch Martinez (Spanish) "Amor, Furor, y Terror" ca. 1870s to 1880s CE. A large, signed oil painting on canvas by the Spanish artist Antonio Jose Estruch Martinez (b. 1835, d. 1907) depicting a montage of nineteen character portraits presenting a range of dramatic expressions. The composition is signed "Estruch" in red the lower right corner and titled "Amor, Furor, y Terror" in the lower left corner. The palette presents extreme contrasts of light and dark, a model of pronounced chiaroscuro. The passionate visages are adeptly modeled and significantly close to the picture plane, resulting in a strong, spirited composition. One may discern influences of Daumier, Gericault, and Hogarth in his work.

Estruch was the son of the artist known as Domingo Estruch y Jordan (1796-1832). He studied with Francisco Martinez at the Academy of San Carlos de Valencia, and was also educated in Madrid and Italy. Early in his career, he painted copies of famous masterworks and was under the patronage of Don Vinvente Moroder of Valencia. In time he began painting his own religious paintings and portraits, among his best known was his "Last Supper" and his portrait of the Archbishop of Valencia (1880).

Estruch was also lauded for his improvised charcoal drawings, and this painting draws upon the artist's early work in caricature. According to Begoña Marcilla Jordá who published a conservation study of Jose Estruch's "Descent from the Cross," Jose Estruch, while walking through the gardens of Buen Retiro in Madrid in 1871, decided to leave a sample of his grotesque caricatures in the bathroom. This exposure, oddly enough, resulted in a great deal of popularity and admiration for the paintings that Estruch called "Cabezas" or heads. They were drawings that presented immense expression, and the Madrileno society embraced them. His "Cabezas" became quite popular and fashionable. Even the Duke of Tamames was impressed and became Estruch's patron. However, back in his home of Valencia, others were less impressed. His grotesque caricatures incited angry responses due to their vulgarity and the rapidity with which he could created the charcoal drawings. The critics wrote about the painter incessantly and some described his works as “las diabólicas originalidades de Estruch” (Estruch's perverse or diabolic originals). Of course bold choices often incise strong criticism. To my eye this is a painting that displays wonderful artistry and technique. What's more, planning out the intricate composition no doubt required immense skill. A rare find for any avid art collector who appreciates the overlaps between visual art, psychology, and theater! Size: painting itself measures 40" W x 29.25" H (101.6 cm x 74.3 cm); 43.75"x 33" (111.1 x 83.8 cm) framed

Provenance: Ex-private P. Nikitovich collection, CO; acquired in the 1980s.

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#112972

Canvas shows bending and surface wear as shown. Backside shows marks from original stretchers.