Bidspirit auction | Pair of paintings of the

Pair of paintings of the Discovery of America, signed Rueda. Spanish School. 19th century. - Oil on canvas. This pair of large pictorial compositions presents two historical episodes with a strong symbolic and national significance. The first scene, a palatial interior, depicts Christopher Columbus's audience with the Catholic Monarchs, theatrically capturing the solemnity of the moment through a frontal arrangement rich in architectural details, tapestries, heraldry, and ornamental carpets. The second scene, set in a port, shows the moment before Columbus embarks for the New World, with a choral arrangement of figures that accentuates the epic nature of the event. Both compositions are by Rueda and stand out for their narrative treatment, the eloquent gestures of the characters, and the meticulous historical setting. The technical workmanship reveals a competent command of drawing and color, with restrained palettes and soft contrasts that reinforce the narrative clarity. The lighting is distributed naturally, giving volume to the figures and depth to the space. The frames are carefully structured to guide the viewer's interpretation, supported by meticulous execution of costumes and architecture. These works are part of the tradition of nineteenth-century Spanish pictorial historicism, in which art became a vehicle for patriotic and didactic exaltation. Their relevance lies in the ability to synthesize iconography, narrative, and aesthetics with an accessible, monumental, and evocative language. Dimensions: 197 x 133 cm and 224 x 167 cm.