Retrato de Raquel Meller vestida en encaje negro – CARLOS VÁZQUEZ

Retrato de Raquel Meller vestida en encaje negro

Carlos Vázquez (Ciudad Real 1869 – Barcelona, 1944)

Oil on canvas. Signed.

170 x 106 (190 x 126 cm framed)

This painting shows the famous Spanish cupletista Raquel Meller (Tarazona, 1888- Barcelona 1926), represented during the 1920s and 1930s by prominent Spanish artists such as Joaquín Sorolla, Julio Romero de Torres, Manuel León Astruc among others. This work created by Carlos Vázquez de Úbeda, appears signed in the lower right margin.

Born under the name of Francisca Romana Marques López in Tarazona (Zaragoza) in 1888, in the bosom of a humble family, she became a renowned Spanish actress, cupletista and singer, author of “La Violetera” by Jose Padilla. She became an emblem of the feminine image, crossing borders with great international success, standing out for her imposing voice, staging and outstanding beauty and sensuality. She became one of the great hobbies of the monarch Alfonso XIII, a fan of the cuplé, and there is a well-known anecdote in which the king once invited her to perform for him at the Royal Palace. She, displaying her strong character, replied to the emissary “There is the same distance from the theater to the palace as from the palace to the theater, if he wants her to come”. Finally the monarch went with Queen Victoria Eugenia to the theater to hear her sing.

This canvas shows the full-length portrait of the artist, while she poses holding with both hands a black lace shawl matching the fitted suit that dresses her, revealing the skin and shapes of her body. She finishes with a 20’s aesthetic, with a dark hair combed with water waves, adorning her forehead with the folkloric snail, so recognizable in artists like Estrellita Castro, and currently recovered by Spanish artists like Rosalía, faithful to recover the authentic Spanish aesthetics.

The artist Carlos Vázquez Úbeda (Ciudad Real, 1869 – Barcelona, 1944) was an outstanding Spanish painter, poster artist and illustrator recognized for his mastery of the genre of costumbrista. Throughout his career, he depicted scenes of great artistic and cultural value, including iconic portraits such as Raquel Meller interpreting El Relicario, El torero herido and Alfonso XII wearing the habit of master of the military orders.