19th century Spanish school

Spanish school of the 19th century.
"young peasant girls".
Pair of watercolors. Single frame.
One with signature "Martín" and the other with illegible signature.
Measurements: 35 x 24 cm (each watercolor); 57 x 75 cm (frame).

This work is part of the boom of regionalism in Spain in the second half of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century, when an art of romantic heritage, costumbrista and realistic and meticulous workmanship was developed, which focused on the representation of issues, themes and characters that reflect a new sense of folklore. In this context, the painters sought to reflect the types and customs of their own land, which made it different and unique, thus vindicating their own roots and, above all, the traditions and ways of dressing and behaving that were threatened by the notable growth of urban areas and the imposition of new fashions brought from outside. Art, fundamentally in its pictorial aspect, thus becomes in a certain way a vehicle of expression capable of making regional peculiarities known to the rest of the nation.