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An artist with a solid academic education-he studied at the San Fernando College of Painting in Madrid-Valentín de Zubiaurre rounded out his training in the early 20th century with a series of journeys around France, Italy and the Netherlands which equipped him with sound knowledge of the history of European art. Much of his extensive output-which earned him early international recognition and shows hardly any interest in contemporary themes and the modern world-is associated with the ethnographic and Costumbrist painting in vogue all over Europe at the turn of the century, and with his desire to re-create the landscapes, traditions and peoples characteristic of a specific time and place. Just like other artists of his era, rural life-sometimes through archetypes and customs from the Basque Country, and other times with Castilian themes-was one of the main subjects of his oeuvre, which stands out for its ability to evoke subjects and activities that were on the verge of disappearing because of the social and economic transformations underway at that time.

In this work, a scene of community or family celebration which the painter held onto until it entered the museum in 1964, two bertsolaris-Basque oral poets who compose and recite improvisational verses-are performing before the watchful eyes of a large group of people of differing ages gathered around a table and dressed in clothing that is representative of the Basque rural world. The composition, which evokes an idyllic universe of respect for shared customs and traditions, is unquestionably symbolic, and the solemn, static figures of the poets stand out against a dusky landscape over which a rugged mountain range is sihouetted in the background, reminiscent of the mountains of Durangaldea where Valentín de Zubiaurre's family had their ancestral lands. The elevation of the land where the people in the foreground are situated allow for views of the valley. The painting is reminiscent of some scenes from Dutch genre painting because of the importance given to the portrayal of the pottery and the food (bread, wine, apples), which are even strewn on the ground, although their intense colours-featuring the painter's characteristic dark blues and the yellow swath of the fabric on the right-demonstrate his knowledge of the modern French schools. [Miriam Alzuri]

Selected bibliography

• Valentin og Ramon de Zubiaurre [Cat. exp.]. Oslo, Sven Winger & Co, 1932. pp. 15-17, n° cat. 2. (titulado Versolaris)
• Pantorba, Bernardino de. Historia y crítica de las Exposiciones Nacionales de Bellas Artes celebradas en España. Madrid, Jesús Ramón García-Rama, 1980. pp. 237, 621. (Títulado Versolaris)
• Bengoechea, Javier de. Catálogo de arte moderno y contemporáneo del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao. Bilbao, Banco de Vizcaya, 1980. p. 130. (Con el título Los bersolaris).
• Tesoros del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao : pintura, 1400-1939 [Cat. exp.]. Madrid, El Viso, 1989. pp. 182-183, n° cat. 74.
• La Sociedad de Artistas Ibéricos y el arte español de 1925 [Cat. exp.]. Madrid ; Barcelona, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía ; Àmbit, 1995. p. 127.
• Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao : guía. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2006. p. 146.
• Musée des Beaux Arts de Bilbao : guide. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2006. p. 146.
• Bilbao Fine Arts Museum : guide. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2006. p. 146.
• Guía Artistas Vascos. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2008. pp. 79-80.
• Gida Euskal Artistak. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Eder Museoa, 2008. pp. 79-80.
• Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao : guía. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2011. p. 146, n° cat. 102.
• Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa : gida. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2012. p. 146, n° cat. 102.
• Guide Basque Artists. Bilbao, Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, 2012. pp. 78-79, n° cat. 36b.
• Jaio, Miren. Estanpa bilduma = Colección de estampas = A Collection of Prints. Donostia-San Sebastián, Etxepare Euskal Institutua, 2012. pp. 16-19, 78.
• Bilbao Fine Arts Museum : guide. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2014. p. 146.
• Musée des Beaux Arts de Bilbao : guide. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2014. p. 146.
• 110 Ans 110 Oeuvres [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 212-213, sin n° cat.
• 110 Años 110 Obras [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 212-213, sin n° cat.
• 110 Urte 110 Artelan [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 212-213, sin n° cat.
• 110 Years 110 Works [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 212-213, sin n° cat.
• Bilboko Museoaren alfabetoa = El alfabeto del Museo de Bilbao = The alphabet of the Bilbao Museum = L'alphabet du Musée de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 165-167, 169-170, 173, n° cat. 93.
• Barañano, Kosme de. Bilbao y la pintura [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, FMGB Guggenheim Bilbao, 2021. pp. 174-177, 321, il.
• El Caserio : comedia lírica en tres actos [Folleto]. Barcelona, Tritó, 2019. p. 32, il.