Lot 18: Lorenzo Vallés (Spanish, 1830-1910) The surprise 22 1/2 x 29 1/2in (57.2 x 75cm)

Lorenzo Vallés (Spanish, 1830-1910)
The surprise signed and dated 'Vallés / Roma 1895' (lower left)oil on canvas22 1/2 x 29 1/2in (57.2 x 75cm)

Provenance: Private collection, Kansas City, Missouri;Thence by descent to the present owner.Lorenzo Vallés was a painter known for history, mythology, landscapes and mostly genre scenes. He was born in Madrid in 1830 where he studied at the San Fernando Escuela de Bellas Artes with the renowned Spanish artist Federico del Campo. He was given the opportunity and granted a pension in 1853 by the Spanish nobleman, politician and army officer, the Duke of Sesto, to study in Rome. Upon his arrival, he joined a significant community of fellow countrymen who were achieving international success for their works, such as Raphael Senet, Mariano Fortuny y Marsal and Martin Rico y Ortega. Vallés exhibited extensively and was awarded numerous prizes and medals for his historical paintings, exhibited as far as Vienna and Philadelphia. His most important work, the impressive The Madness of Joanna of Castile from 1866, is in the collection of the Prado Museum, Madrid. The artist's work is recognizable by the fine and detailed brushwork with a vivid and luminous palette. In The surprise, a group of mischievous young ladies ambush an innocent-looking clergyman, possibly their tutor, by presenting him with a surprise offering of fruit, pastries and tea, and a glass of wine. Startled from his reading, he looks at them puzzled, weighing his options of escape. Vallés' masterful command of brush is evident in the fine details of the garments, silk wall coverings, and many decorative objects adorning the rich interior setting, such as the exquisite small still life in the center of foreground.