Spanish school; first half of the 20th century.

Spanish school; first half of the 20th century.
"Portrait of a gentleman.
Graphite on paper.
Painted on both sides.
Presents faults.
Measurements: 21 x 15 cm; 40,5 x 35 cm (frame).
As in the rest of Europe, the portrait became in the twentieth century the leading genre par excellence of Spanish painting, as a result of the new social structures that were implemented in the Western world throughout this century, embodying the ultimate expression of the transformation of taste and mentality of the new clientele, emerged between the nobility and the wealthy gentry, who would take the reins of history in this period. While official circles gave preponderance to other artistic genres, such as history painting, and the incipient collecting encouraged the profusion of costume paintings, portraiture monopolized the demand for painting destined for the more private sphere, as a reflection of the value of the individual in the new society. This genre embodies the permanent presence of the image of its protagonists, to be enjoyed in the intimacy of a studio, in the daily warmth of a family cabinet or presiding over the main rooms of the house.