Light, Color, and Life: The Art of José Jiménez Aranda

In this presentation, we wish to look into the art of the painter José Aranda, from Spain, and how he rose to prominence, and what challenges were to be faced apart from his surroundings. From humble beginnings, Aranda fought to enter into the realm of artistic awareness as difficult as that would be, but the thought to neglect his passion would be like painting out the background of an entire picture. To appreciate this Spanish painter, we must consider the conditions of art at the time before and while he was studying, because art was about to change entirely by mid-century. The man's quality and innovative spirit beating within him was of the most skillful painters of his day, albeit not entirely alone as we shall see, for it was a growing phenomenon he would be a part of. We must, therefore, look back to an even earlier time than 1837, just a year before the birth of Monet, the year in which Aranda was born, and speak of those who came before him. The old guard, if you will. For all we say of them will but add to our admiration for this artist and his determination to rise above difficult circumstances. His younger brothers would follow in his footsteps as the new art was bursting upon Europe early in the 19th century. Aranda, in fact, started from a point that many of his predecessors had regarded as their ultimate goal, which was to continue the traditions being taught. But before he turned to real life in his pictures, he worked at his craft in which conventionalism reigned supreme instead of naturalism and truth, where the rather cold picture-making was then inspired by Greek and In Spain, as in France, the modern spirit was soon to wage fierce war with old school traditions as represented by his mentors, Eduardo Cano de la Peña and Manuel Cabral, men of talent who followed the lines promoted in France. They encouraged students to admire ancient classicalism but failed to see their limitations in art. It held back new ideas that were in the air and a new way had opened up to younger artists, and the demand for working directly in the open air was happening. By 1881, he settled in Paris, where he remained for nine years, painting artworks set in the 18th century in the style of Fortuny, with some notable success. By 1890, he returned to Spain and moved to Madrid, painting scenes of everyday life, giving classes, and in artists' studios, it was easy to see that a divide was declared between tradition and living nature. José Aranda was able in the years he painted in France to paint some of his finest pictures. They consisted of very elegant interiors, and the drawing of all elements were well crafted. He worked to perfect a style that was admired by his contemporaries, and while he painted of times past with colorfully costumed people, he was mindful of the changes in taste as newer ways of portraying everyday life became ever more popular. The scenes of the large hats worn by the ladies with ample full dress and the tailored jackets and top hats of gentlemen suddenly worked as subjects to be painted. Peasants of the fields were the other choice by some as well, for the artist finding an appropriate subject matter became an ongoing obsession, but it was an important consideration as always. With the modern painters, it became an essential and identifying attribute of their work. Let us have reality, they say, by their close perception and careful study of light and its effects, and it awakened within the lightness and vigor the warmth and vitality, which gave excitement to the production of each painting. Aranda quickly moved in that direction, and with his skills at animated figure painting, he excelled. His capacity for arrangement and execution was solidly performed. Aranda was comfortable whether in historical painting, because he was steady and deliberate, or he could be legitimately a faithful recorder of humanity as is, and with that in mind, we wish to take a closer look at his masterpiece titled, The Penitence of Assisi, a tour de force of solid picture making, beautifully designed with a strong narrative and superbly drawn. The figures are softly illuminated in the darkened room, and the characterizations of each figure are quite wonderful. The type of picture any artist would like to get fully immersed into, having all the elements of careful study, and the rendering of forms that anyone could wish for. Now we want to take a look at his much younger brother, also a painter, and actually there were two, but our attention is focused on Luis Aranda, who did quite well in He was taught by his older brother in the beginning, and then followed that with further study at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Santa Isabel de Hungría, under the direction of Eduardo Cano. In 1868, thanks to a four-year stipend from a wealthy patron, he went to Rome to study the old masters, and complete his studies with Maria Fortuny. As part of the grant agreement, Luis, in return, had to send back a painting every year, and when the period ended and his stipend expired, he remained for a time and married his Italian wife, Lucia. They decided to make a move to Paris, with better opportunities, where he made the acquaintance of the art dealer, Adolfo Gupil. He was a leading proponent and supporter of artists and publishing their work. Within two years, he decided on a move to Pontoise, in France, and would remain there the rest of his life, becoming a naturalized citizen of France in 1877. It was in the 1880s that he began painting en plein air, with a passion not unlike his brother José. Both enjoyed the new art movements, and Luis found his muse in the surrounding countryside, often depicting peasant life and the charm of the people in everyday situations. He was very active in exhibits at the Paris Salons, where he received recognition at the Exposition Universelle of 1889, and later at a major showing at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He also acted as a sort of correspondent for the Spanish magazine, La Ilustración Española y Americana, providing images and commentary on life in France. As can be seen with the works of Luis Jiménez Yaranda, he was as capable an artist as his eldest brother. While he remained in France, brother José lived out his times in Spain, and both led very productive lives. As far as the youngest brother, Manuel Jiménez Yaranda, not much more is actively known, but he was also an artist. It can be noted that José Yaranda was a capable illustrator as well. He was also a noted caricaturist, producing some 689 highlighted drawings for the Tercentenary Edition of Don Quixote, published in 1905. Here are a few of the images he produced for the book. They were very popular as editions in France. Towards the end of the 19th century, the plenarism of Bastien Lepage and the simple peasant types and country landscapes, supported by the naturalists, were introduced to Spain by artists, many of whom had lived in Paris, as we have already established. José Yaranda, although advanced in years, deserted certain types of genre to join the new movement, and we can see he brought the light and airiness into the work he produced. So with that, we hope enjoyed this all-too-briefer look at the painters José and Luis Yaranda, who we hope many more canvases will come to light for the public. It's a treat to see fine craftsmanship at work, so the art enthusiast can soak up the compositions they produced. The many talents that have left a legacy as the Yarandas have been a luxury we want to see more of. As we leave this presentation, please remember to add a like as it helps the channel, and thank you to our subscribers. We look forward to bringing many more valuable masters to you, so thanks again, and until next time, it's bye for now.