Ramon Tusquets y Maignon (1837-1904), "On the Terrace", 1870
Oil on canvas, 46x116 cm.
Signed "R. Tusquets/Rome 1870" in the lower right.
The painting depicts a beautiful Orientalist scene: a group of women, likely belonging to a harem, are portrayed in a convivial moment. The scene takes place on an elevated terrace; in the background, the dome of a mosque and the roofs of other buildings can be seen. The group of women is depicted with two of them performing music for the others: they hold two stringed instruments, and plausibly, the woman on the right is singing; some spectators listen with interest, while others look towards the painter.
Tusquets is meticulous in his reconstruction of the environment, including various objects that evoke an exotic atmosphere: the colorful carpets, the golden censer, and the small carved wooden table transport us to a Middle Eastern city immersed in twilight.
BIOGRAPHY
Ramon Tusquets y Maignon was born in Barcelona in 1837. The son of a merchant, he was introduced to commerce by his father; however, after his father's death, he abandoned trade and devoted himself to his passion for painting. He began studying with the Spanish artist Ramon Moliné and then moved to Rome, where he was able to study at the Accademia Chigi and become acquainted with the circle of Catalan painters present there. He also met and frequented Mariano Fortuny, who introduced him to Orientalist themes.
He exhibited in Italy and Spain and also participated in international exhibitions, such as the international exhibition in Vienna in 1876 and Paris in 1878.
He was active for many years in Naples, but the city that remained his last residence was Rome, where he died in 1904.
