Portrait of Pierre Hippolyte Eyquem - Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

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Portrait of Pierre Hippolyte Eyquem

Madrazo, Federico de

Rome, 1815-Madrid, 1894

Oil on canvas

66 x 54.4 cm

F. de Madrazo (bottom right hand corner)

1854

19th century. Third quarter

05/168

Acquired in 2005

Pierre Hippolyte Eyquem was a businessman from Bordeaux who had some professional ties with Spain in the middle years of the nineteenth century. While some information exists to suggest connections with Spain in the 1840s, between 1853 and 1854 Eyquem is securely documented as having spent time in Madrid. It was at this point, when he was 55, that he was painted by Federico de Madrazo. Madrazo noted in his paperwork that he gave the sitter the portrait as a gift, as he did on occasions with clients who were friends or with close family members. The recent emergence of a passport that describes Eyquem's appearance in some detail allows for the previously suggested identity of the sitter to be confirmed. Eyquem's passport describes him as we see him here, with chestnut sideburns, hair and eyes, a high brow, broad nose, rounded chin, oval face and dark skin.

Depicted in a bust-length format without the hands, the carefully controlled lighting emphasises Eyquem's expressive gaze. The precise modelling and rigorous line with which Madrazo depicts the frock coat emphasise the rich, compact brushstroke of the face. Freely and rapidly executed, Madrazo was obliged to repaint the outline of the figure against the greyish-brown wall, an infrequent occurrence in the oeuvre of this careful painter and one that emphasises the informal context of this gift. In general, the portrait offers a characteristic example of Madrazo's approach in works of this type and a remarkable display of the stylistic maturity that he achieved at this period. (Carlos G. Navarro)

Selected bibliography

  • Zamacois, Fortuny, Meissonier [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2006. p. 98, fig. 67.
  • De Goya a Gauguin : el siglo XIX en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Salamanca, Caja Duero, 2006. pp. 70-71, n° cat. 10.
  • De Goya a Gauguin : el siglo XIX en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Valencia, Consorci de Museus de la Comunitat Valenciana ; Caja Duero, 2006. pp. 70-71, n° cat. 10.
  • De Goya a Gauguin : el siglo XIX en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Salamanca, Caja Duero, 2007. pp. 70-71, n° cat. 10.
  • Adquisiciones 02/07 [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2007. pp. 24-25, n° cat. 3.
  • De Goya a Gauguin : el siglo XIX en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2008. pp. 166-168, n° cat. 20.
  • Maestros : Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao . Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2016. pp. 76-77, il.
  • Masters : Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2016. pp. 76-77, il.
  • Maîtres : Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bilbao. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2016. pp. 76-77, il.
  • Maisuak : Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2016. pp. 76-77, il.
  • 110 Años 110 Obras [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 150-151, sin n° cat.
  • 110 Ans 110 Oeuvres [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 150-151, sin n° cat.
  • 110 Urte 110 Artelan [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 150-151, sin n° cat.
  • 110 Years 110 Works [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 150-151, sin n° cat.