JULIO ROMERO DE TORRES (Cordoba, 1874 - 1930).
"Poster of the fair of Cordoba", 1913.
Lithograph on paper.
The Julio Romero de Torres Museum conserves the original painting, made in oil and tempera.
Measurements: 220 x 122 cm; 231 x 133 cm (frame).
Poster printed by J. Ortega from the design created by Julio Romero de Torres, today conserved in the Julio Romero de Torres Museum in Cordoba. The poster has a program of the fair at the bottom, with the inscription "Gran Feria de Nuestra Señora de la Salud, festivity celebrated in the city of Cordoba in the days from May 25 to June 1, 1913 ...". Julio Romero de Torres' relationship with lettering is well known, although he participated in several advertising campaigns with his designs, he was also involved in the representation of the posters for the Cordoba Fair, which he did in 1912 for the first time, 1913 in relation to the present work and once again in 1916.
Julio Romero de Torres was born in an intellectual and artistic environment, which decidedly favored his vocation. His father, Rafael Romero de Barros, was also a painter and curator of the Museum of Fine Arts in Cordoba. Julio Romero began his training in 1884, combining classes at the Conservatory of Music with his father's drawing and painting classes. In 1890 we find his first known work, "La huerta de Morales", and in 1895 he entered for the first time in the National Exhibition of Fine Arts, with "Mira qué bonita era", a work that earned him an honorable mention and was acquired by the State. In 1897 he opted for the Rome prize, although he did not win the scholarship, and in 1902 he began his teaching career at the School of Fine Arts in Cordoba. The following year he moved to Madrid to learn first hand about the mural painting of the symbolists, after receiving his first major commission, a series of murals dedicated to the arts for the Círculo de la Amista de Córdoba. In this project his work still shows the influence of Puvis de Chavannes. Julio Romero then remained in Madrid, in contact with the circle of Valle-Inclán and Machado, frequenting the gatherings of the Café de Levante while maturing his own style. In 1906 he sent "Vividoras del amor" to the Nacional, a work that was rejected because of its scandalous theme. In Madrid he will become known through exhibitions such as the one at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in 1907, and he matures the idea of a trip to Europe that will mark a definitive change in his language, a clear desire for change. He continues to participate in the National Exhibitions, and in 1908 his work "The Gypsy Muse" is acquired by the State and earns him a first medal. This triumph will make that his paintings are sent to exhibitions held abroad, in Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile. The definitive recognition came in 1910, when he was awarded the Order of Alfonso X the Wise and was appointed inspector of the delegation and royal commissariat at the Art Exhibition in Rome. The following year he was awarded the gold medal at the National Fine Arts of Barcelona, and shortly after he was appointed full member of the Academy of Sciences, Fine and Noble Arts of Cordoba. Julio Romero, however, continued to live in Madrid, frequenting the Café Pombo gathering since 1913. Two years later a special room was dedicated to him at the National Exhibition, and in 1916 he was appointed professor at the Academy of San Fernando. During these years of success and recognition, his studio, in Madrid's Pelayo Street, became the center of gatherings and meetings. However, in 1928 he was forced to return to Cordoba for health reasons, although this did not prevent him from continuing to paint in his studio in the Plaza del Potro. In fact, in 1930, the same year of his death, he participated in the Ibero-American Exposition of Seville with a total of twenty-eight paintings.