Bidspirit auction | Anonymous European, c. 1840 –

Anonymous European, c. 1840 – Conde de la Cortina, Mexico – Pair of Landscapes - Pair of romantic landscapes in the European tradition; oil on canvas, with 19th-century frames made of smooth, gilded wood. The provenance of these works is highlighted by a handwritten inscription in brown ink, original to the period, located on one of the wooden frames: ‘Colección Conde de la Cor- / tina. Jalapa. Mexico. / Año MDCCCXL’ (Count of La Cor- / tina Collection. Jalapa. Mexico. / Year MDCCCXL). This inscription indicates that the probable owner was José Justo Gómez de la Cortina, III Count of La Cortina (Mexico City, 9 August 1799 - 6 January 1860). A prominent politician, diplomat, writer and academic, he led a distinguished intellectual and cultural life in the Mexican capital. There he kept his collection of antiques, such as weapons, coins and his gallery of paintings by great European masters, first in the former palace of the Count of Las Cortinas (94 República de Uruguay Street) and later at 12 Capuchinas Street (now Venustiano Carranza Street), where both landscapes may have come from. His distinguished political career developed thanks to the trust placed in him by Ferdinand VII, King of Spain, who appointed him Introductor of Ambassadors, Colonel of the Army, Knight of the Order of Montesa and Gentleman of His Majesty's Chamber. In his first position, he was appointed Attaché to the Spanish Embassy thanks to the King's protection, during which time he was posted to the Netherlands, France, Austria and England. Perhaps his taste for landscape painting, such as the works presented here, stems from his time in these destinations. In 1832, he returned to Mexico, holding prominent positions in the political and cultural life of the recently formed Mexican Republic: Lieutenant Colonel of the Regiment of Commerce, President of the Institute of Geography and Statistics, the Conservatory of Arts and the Academy of Language. In 1834, he was appointed deputy in the General Congress, Governor of Mexico City (1835-1836), Minister of Finance (1838-1839), Senator of the Republic (1844), member of the Legislative Board (1843) and actively participated in the interim government of the State of Mexico. His military career was marked by his appointment as General in 1840 and later as Chief of Grenadiers of the Guard of the Supreme Powers. From a cultural perspective, his appointments and activities as a founding member of the Mexican Academy of Language and the Mexican Society of Geography and Statistics, President of the Conservatory of Arts and the Museum and Botanical Garden of Mexico, and founder and director of the first Mexican literary criticism magazine, El Zurriago Literario, are particularly noteworthy. Provenance: Conde de la Cortina Collection, Jalapa, Mexico. Possibly the former palace of the Count of Las Cortinas, 94 República de Uruguay Street, Mexico City. Formerly 12 Capuchinas Street (now Venustiano Carranza Street). Dimensions: 66 x 80 cm (support); 74 x 87.5 cm (frame)