Francisco Iturrino played a critical role in shaping modernism in Spain. Thanks to his close relationship with some of the leading artists in Europe at the turn of the century, he was a first-hand witness of the renewal in the arts, and was one of the key artists responsible for introducing the new movements into Spain.

This work, acquired by Ambroise Vollard along with others by the painter, is one of the artist’s masterpieces. Produced when, after returning from Paris where he had spent many years, he was painting first in Salamanca and then, starting in 1902, in Seville, it reflects his fascination with the bright colours and rich materials of the garments and Manila shawls worn by manolas. The loose and thick brushwork of the central group contrasts with the lighter and thinner strokes elsewhere in the painting, especially in the field, the buildings, and the trees in the background, which shows a very modern recourse.

It depicts a party in the countryside by an inn or cortijo on the outskirts of the city, with the bell towers and the spires of its churches outlined in the horizon. The composition is arranged around the central motif, a group of women with Manila shawls and flowers in their hair, some of which are turning in the direction of the spectator. At each side of them we see a pair of figures, with the outer person in each couple cut in half by the framing, a compositional device used often by the artist to reinforce the impression of immediacy, movement, and vitality of the scene.

There is a copy of smaller size—where some of the figures are missing—and also an with the same subject, which he must have made directly based on the painting, as the scene is reversed and simplified. This is depicted hanging on the background wall of Portrait of Iturrino by Juan de Echevarría (1875-1931), which belongs to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid.