The BBVA Collection is taking part in the exhibition Bilbao and Painting through the loan of two key examples of Basque painting: Fiesta en el campo (Party in the Countryside), 1902, by Francisco Iturrino (1864-1924) and Danzas suletinas (Souletin Dances), 1956, by Jose María Ucelay (1903-1979).

Iturrino’s work, painted following his frequent trips to Paris, is notable for the adroit use of colour and the spirited brushwork. With a style that evinces his insight into contemporary movements, the artist depicted a festive scene with a group of women, a recurrent subject matter in the period between 1904 and 1910.

The painting by Ucelay is an excellent example of the artist’s technical skills, rendering both characters and landscapes with meticulous drawing and technical mastery. The work depicts a group of dantzariak, dancers from the Olaeta Ballet, enjoying a day out in the countryside.

The exhibition explores the work of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century Basque artists who started to introduce the modern ideas coming from French Impressionism and the early avant-gardes.

Through a number of large-format works, the exhibition examines how artists from the Basque Country experimented with the innovative artistic languages of the time, using them with great accomplishment to depict scenes at various moments in the history of Bilbao, a fast-growing city in the fin de siécle period thanks to the rise of the steel, iron and shipbuilding industries and to its thriving financial and cultural activity.