Bidspirit auction | Hermenigildo Anglada-Camarasa (Barcelona, 1871 -
Hermenigildo Anglada-Camarasa (Barcelona, 1871 - Pollença, 1959) - Alone in the box - Oil on panel. Dimensions: 32 x 34 cm (unframed), 63 x 59 cm (framed). Signed 'H. Anglada Camarasa' (lower right corner). Signed and dated Paris 1911 on the back. Although Francesc Miralles dated the work between 1949 and 1952, the autograph signature on the back (Paris 1911) and its formal characteristics indicate that it was begun, and possibly even completed, during Anglada's second stay in the French capital. During this period, the artist developed intimate compositions featuring isolated figures in theatre boxes or cafés, such as the young woman in this scene, whose paleness contrasts with the dark background. The expressive treatment of lines and the enigmatic atmosphere reveal a clear influence of Catalan Modernism and French Art Nouveau, styles shared by artists such as Santiago Rusiñol and the young Picasso around 1900. The work is presented in a good state of preservation, on a flat, stable panel that, it has been suggested, may have been trimmed by the artist himself along its right edge, preserving the signature intact. Under ultraviolet light, some specific retouching can be seen—on the nose, hair, upper edge, and right arm—although overall it maintains a solid appearance and is ready for display, framed in an elegant black Dutch-style frame with gold and silver details. Provenance: Mir Amorós, Barcelona (circa 1981). Manel Mayoral Gallery, Barcelona. Acquired from the above by a private collector in 1997. Sotheby's London, «19th-Century European Paintings», 21 May 2015. Lot 26. Christie's London, UK, 15 July 2021. Lot 113. Christie's London, «British and European Art», 30 June - 15 July 2022, online 21037. Lot 8. Work referenced in: Francesc Fontbona and Francesc Miralles, Anglada-Camarasa, Barcelona, 1981, p. 298, illustrated and catalogued, no. G12 (titled «Project for a Portrait» and dated 1949-52). Exhibitions: Barcelona, La Pinoteca, H. Anglada Camarasa, June 1952, as Project for a Portrait. This lot is accompanied by a certificate from F. Fontbona and F. Miralles dated February 24, 1998, no. 403.
