Les Sévillanes by Constantin Meunier (1831-1905)

Les Sévillanes, oil on canvas mounted on panel, monogrammed CM lower right.

Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, where he took engraving classes, he discovered painting through contact with François-Joseph Navez and Charles de Groux, with whom he became friends.
His career began with religious paintings, which brought him a certain notoriety. He was commissioned by the Belgian government to make a copy of the Descent from the Cross by Pieter de Kempeneer, known as Pedro Campana, in Seville cathedral. Accompanied by his son Karl, Meunier stayed in the city from October 1882 to April 1883.
While his contact with the workers of the Borinage marked a turning point in his work, his period in Seville was quite remarkable. It was a real interlude in his work,
The Belgian painter imbibed the light and picturesque scenes of the Spanish city. His colour palette broadened and warmer, brighter shades were incorporated into his painting.
The painting we have here is typical of this period; it depicts two Andalusian women in a field, fan in hand, under the Spanish sun, in an intimate and touching scene.

Frame size: 50x43.5cm