Francisco Hohenleiter

FRANCISCO HOHENLEITER DE CASTRO (Cadiz, 1889 - Seville, 1968).
"The tablao".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner. Titled on the back.
Measurements: 97 x 130 cm.
The author of this work offers us a cheerful and dynamic scene, starring an intense and contrasting color, enlivened by a passionate light treatment. On a stage a flamenco dancer is represented with a frilly costume worked with energetic, almost violent and totally dynamic strokes, which do not need a detailed description to reflect the movement and the sense of the dance. Thus, the colorful fabrics decompose in pure light, fold with the movement and emphasize the physical presence of the woman, which directly affects the main figure, leaving the audience enjoying the show in the background.
Francisco Hohenleiter began his training in Puerto de Santa María, and in 1918 he moved to Seville, settling permanently in the city. An elegant and colorful painter, he soon became a reference in mural decoration and, fundamentally, in posters, magazine and book illustration. His works combine influences from different styles such as modernism, costumbrismo and romanticism. Through his posters, in the twenties he reinvented the Holy Week of Seville, with works based on the use of color and decorative lines. As a painter he focused on portraits, landscapes and the capture of popular types, mainly majos, as well as genre scenes. He also cultivated the nude, church interiors and still life. Throughout his career he showed his work in various Spanish cities and also in Paris, with an outstanding exhibition held at the Charpentier gallery in 1932. Francisco Hohenleiter's painting has its roots in that of Jiménez Aranda and García Ramos, and is inspired by Goya and Alenza. He became the glosador of the romantic Seville, the portraitist of the Andalusia musicalized by Albéniz. His work is currently scattered all over Andalusia: murals, posters, hand programs, etc. Today he is represented in various museums and private collections.