Exhibitions

Atanasio Bocanegra (1638-1689)

Virgin and Child and Portraits

Oil on canvas
Donation of Doña Blanca, Doña Begoña and Doña Aranzazu Alzola de la Sota in 2002

A disciple of Alonso Cano and admirer of Van Dyck, Bocanegra was a prolific artist in his hometown of Granada. In 1686 he went to Madrid, where he was appointed painter to the king. Most of his work is focused on religious themes. In this painting, he depicts two girls—one with a shaved head, an unusual feature—and a third, long-haired child who appears to be a boy, based on the jacket he is wearing. The curtain, of a magnificent scarlet colour, helps to differentiate the heavenly, rhomboidal space where the Virgin and Child are positioned from the earthly one occupied by the children.

Antonio María Lecuona (1831-1907)

A Handout, c. 1870

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 2008

A child, holding his mother’s hand, offers a beggar an ear of corn at the gates of a village. In the background, his father is returning from the fields with the Sanctuary of Loyola behind him. Lecuona echoes Antonio Trueba’s literature with his candid, idealised depiction of traditional roles that were beginning to change due to the Industrial Revolution. This painting is one of the replicas produced by the painter after a fire destroyed his workshop in 1877.

Juan de Barroeta Anguisolea (1835-1906)

Portrait of Children, 1892

Oil on canvas
Donated by Mr. Jaime Unceta Satrústegui in 2009

This image is a perfect example of turn-of-the-century portraiture, a field where Juan de Barroeta Anguisolea achieved great success in Bilbao society. Two siblings appear dressed in the unmistakable children’s fashions of the time. Their photographic pose could denote the starting point for this double portrait. Barroeta trained at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, where he was a disciple of Federico de Madrazo and classmate of Fortuny and Palmaroli. He also stood out as an illustrator and set designer, which explains the treatment of the landscape background as a set.

Antonio Ortiz Echagüe (1883-1942)

At Table in Mamoiada, 1908

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 2011

The treatment of this scene, located on the island of Sardinia, reveals the influence of Zuloaga’s realism and Sorolla’s luminism. The girls, with serene and innocent faces, dressed in colourful regional costumes in a cheerfully decorated room, wait for their lunch in an idealised scene of life in the Mediterranean. The artist received a grant to attend the Spanish Academy in Rome in 1904 and resided there for four years. He stood out for his representation of folkloric themes and as a portrait artist for high society. During World War I, he settled in San Sebastián, where the royal family would spend the summer holidays, and with whom the Echagües had contact, as his maternal uncle was aide-de-camp to Alfonso XIII.

Juan Barroeta Lecanda (1801-1852)

Portrait of My Family, c. 1842

Oil on canvas
Donation of Mrs. Paz Azaola Reyes in 2013.

This family portrait has a format that was popular in Europe during the Romantic era, especially in England and France. The artist’s wife appears surrounded by her children in a composition with the youngest in the centre. Their hairstyles and clothing, typical of the period, are elegant but reflect a certain sense of austerity. Barroeta Lecanda produced miniature paintings and portraits in Bilbao, although we know little about his life and training. He appears to be the one who instilled a love of painting in his son, Juan de Barroeta Anguisolea.

Alberto Schommer (1928-2015)

Vitoria,1957

Gelatin silver bromide on paper
Donation by the artist in 2013

This image is from the first stage of Alberto Schommer's career as a professional photographer, after he abandoned painting. Set in snow-covered Vitoria, his home since childhood, the panoramic composition features a group of boys in a line. The children, blurred in the snapshot, are captured in a moment of movement or play, perhaps chasing after a ball or running to school. One of them appears clearly in the centre, alone and differentiated. The photograph invites us to relive our childhood memories, whether vivid or diffuse, full of joy or even trauma, immersing us in a reverie that appeals directly to the subconscious.

© Fundación Alberto Schommer, VEGAP, Bizkaia, 2024

Isabel Baquedano (1929-2018)

Untitled, 1963

Mixed media and collage on canvas
Acquired in 2019

Isabel Baquedano conceived this portrait as a still life, creating a collage with textures and extra-pictorial elements. The range of grey shades includes touches of colour reminiscent of photographic paper yellowed by the passage of time, thus linking both media. The girl in the photograph, with a cigarette in the corner of her mouth, pops out in a somewhat disturbing way. The artist created this picture early in her career, after completing her training at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, when she began to show a departure from classical languages and a tendency towards abstract informalism.

Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1535-1625)

The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, 1588

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 2021

Saint Catherine was martyred in the fourth century for her devout Christian faith, symbolised here through her mystical marriage to Christ. The latter appears as an older child, something rare in this iconography and extremely uncommon among representations of Jesus. Anguissola based this version on the original by another painter, Luca Cambiaso, lending a particular sweetness and intimacy to the scene in which the two characters exchange rings. This unique painter stood out on a male-dominated art scene, an exception in her era, and received recognition from Michaelangelo and Van Dyck.

Francisco Herrera “the Elder” (c. 1590-1656)

The Holy Relatives, c.1634

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 1920

In this composition, full of characters from the lineage of Saint Anne, the children stand out in the foreground. In the centre, between the Virgin and Saint Elizabeth, the Christ Child appears embracing his cousin, the infant Saint John. On the left are Saint James the Greater and Saint John the Evangelist, wearing a pink tunic, both the sons of Salome. The characters on the right are possibly the sons of Mary of Clopas: Saint James the Less, Simon, and Jude the Apostle. The beautiful colours and loose brushwork stand out, revealing the skill of this artist, one of the best representatives of Sevillian naturalism.

Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923)

Kissing the Relic, 1893

Oil on canvas
Contribution of the Bilbao City Council in 1913

A mix of reverence and awe are the subjects of this calm, intimate scene in which a priest holds up a mysterious relic to the faithful. Housed in a tubular glass container mounted in gilded bronze, it is almost reminiscent of a piece of laboratory equipment. The parishioners approach it respectfully, while the altar boy, wearing sandals, hands out religious cards under the curious gaze of a little girl. A young girl with rosy cheeks kisses the object with innocence and candour as a sign of faith. With this work, which won prizes at exhibitions in Paris, Vienna, and Bilbao, Sorolla received his first recognition as an artist.

David Vinckboons (1576-c. 1632)

Children's Cortege or The Whitsun Bride, c. 1605

Oil on oak board
Bequest of Don Laureano de Jado in 1927

This painting depicts a Flemish custom associated with the Christian celebration of the Coming of the Holy Spirit. A little girl adorned with flowers and ribbons—the Pentecost bride—is accompanied by a sort of wedding procession made up of numerous children who go from house to house singing songs about the watercress (cresson) of the meadows while receiving little gifts. As in a proscenium flanked by two houses, the background opens onto a landscape of bluish tones. The elevated point of view allows us to see the represented elements in detail. David Vinckboons settled in Amsterdam around 1591 and focused mainly on genre painting.

Ángel Larroque (1874-1961)

Motherhood, 1895

Oil on canvas
Contribution of the Bilbao City Council in 1924

The figure of a mother, clothed in red, stands out against a decorative backdrop of sinuous curves. Represented as Venus with dark hair, she looks almost like a teenager and has a blank, languid expression. Her body has given life to the child and is now cradling him. The baby is barely clothed, his immature genitals exposed. This work with an oneiric atmosphere, combining sleep and wakefulness, sexuality and innocence, is open to various interpretations. Ángel Larroque, who had been a disciple of Anselmo Guinea at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios de Bilbao, was 21 years old when he painted this picture in Paris, while attending the academy of Eugène Carrière.

Juan de Echevarría (1875-1931)

The Castilian Pariah, 1917

Oil on canvas
Contribution of the Provincial Council of Biscay in 1920

In contrast with his cheerful still lifes and flower-filled vases, Juan de Echevarría also showed an interest in marginalised characters in his paintings, like this boy, who is accompanied only by a little dog and stares at the viewer with desolation. The overhead light and brown and blue tones create a cold, deeply sad atmosphere around the boy in a moving image of child abandonment and neglect. Echevarría received an excellent education and seemed destined for the business world. However, after the death of his mother in 1911, he changed the course of his life and moved to Paris to follow his true calling. His first solo exhibition was held at the Ateneo de Madrid in 1919.

Julián de Tellaeche (1884-1957)

The White Ship's Boy, c.1922-1924

Oil on cardboard
Acquired in 1928

The work of this painter, who spent much of his life in Lekeitio, is almost exclusively focused on nautical themes. His love of photography is reflected in his canvases through their framing and mathematically calculated compositions. Here, a boy appears against an almost abstract backdrop, made up of a carefully constructed interplay of diagonals. His handsome face, with a serene and innocent expression, and his impeccable attire generate an idealised image that inspires tenderness, overlooking the drama of child labour. Tellaeche studied at several Parisian academies, and in 1911 participated in the creation of the Association of Basque Artists. In 1952 he moved to Peru, where he was named Conservator of National Art Treasures.

Jesús Olasagasti (1907-1955)

The Sisters, 1926

Oil on canvas
Contribution of the Provincial Council of Biscay in 1926

Four young sisters are engaged in activities then considered appropriate for their sex: playing with dolls, sewing, and in the best case, reading. Their bob and pixie haircuts provide a contrast, suggesting a liberation that, just like the avant-garde movement joined by some artists of the period, including Olasagasti, would be truncated by the Spanish Civil War. In this work, which he painted at the peak of his career, the painter shows Cubist and Cézannian influences, which he learned in Madrid from his teacher Daniel Vázquez Díaz. He would go on to become one of the most popular portrait painters of the Basque bourgeoisie.

Emili Ferrer i Espel (1899-1970)

Chiquilín, Artiach, 1935

Color lithography on paper
Acquired in 1981

In the 1930s, the Artiach brothers took advantage of the nickname ‘Chiquilín’, by which child actor Jackie Coogan (the star of the film The Kid, directed by Charles Chaplin in 1922) was known in Spain, for the brand of their popular cookies. They commissioned various advertising posters featuring mischievous, lively characters in dynamic poses and cheerful, contrasting colours. The boy’s fresh, sweet image was thus associated with the product, transmitting a clear, effective message from the advertising point of view.

Herbert Leupin (1916-1999)

Knie's, Children's Zoo, 1964

Offset on paper
Donation of private collection in 2013

Herbert Leupin designed this poster to advertise the Knie circus, based in the Swiss town of Rapperswil. Founded in 1803, it still operates today, and in addition to putting on performances, it features a travelling zoo. Its activity is represented here with an elephant and a clown, in an image reminiscent of a colourful child's drawing, a resource that the artist frequently used together with a subtle sense of humour. Although he created illustrations for children’s books, Leupin is considered one of Switzerland’s most important poster designers. He worked for numerous brands and is known as the creator of the iconic cow of the Milka chocolate brand.

Eugène Zak (1884-1926)

The Guignol, c. 1920

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 1924

The Polish painter Eugène Zak created a world of fantastical beings with elongated proportions and classic facial features. That is the case of this family watching a puppet show put on by one of the children. The layout of the space suggests one stage within another. Zak, who completed his training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, debuted at the Salon d'Automne in 1904. His work reflects influences from Picasso, Modigliani, and Chagall. Nothing in this painting foreshadows the tragic fate that awaited the artist and his family: he died at the age of 41 due to a heart attack, while his widow, Yadwiga Kohn, founder of the renowned Zak Gallery in Paris, and their son Yannek lost their lives at Auschwitz.

Roberto Rodet (1915-1989)

The White Tablecloth, 1949

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 1982

This large canvas, painted in 1949, accurately portrays the type of education that women received at that time, geared towards the roles they should play in the future. Seven young girls wearing school uniforms—probably from a religious centre, judging from the crosses around their necks—are gathered around a tablecloth that four of them are sewing while another girl reads to entertain the group. The scene, intended to be charming, seems anachronistic today. Rodet was a disciple of Ángel Larroque at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios de Bilbao. He was a multifaceted artist: he painted the apse of the Arantzazu basilica in 1957, created stage sets, and wrote poetry. He was a member of the Governing Board of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum between 1970 and 1982.

Cristóbal Ruiz (1881-1962)

Two Girls, 1924

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 1924

Two little girls shown indoors, perhaps in their bedroom, are immersed in an intricate task. This precisely conceived composition is made up of planes and diagonals on which the undulating lines of the figures are arranged. The silent scene conveys serenity and a world of intimacy and small things. Cristóbal Ruiz’s style reflects the influence of the avant-garde that he discovered in Paris in 1902 after training at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid. Without being overly disruptive, it brings together influences from Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism, and Expressionism. All of this is echoed in the sweetness of this beautiful scene.

Anselmo Guinea (1855-1906)

Group of People, 1904

Oil on canvas
Contribution of the Provincial Council of Biscay in 1921

A group of women surrounds a little girl who holds the hand of one of them, possibly a maid. Busy flirting and gossiping, they pay no attention to the little girl, who stares straight ahead with a dazed, innocent expression while putting grapes in her mouth. Everything seems to be in motion in this scene, set on a bridge in Rome at dusk, when the sunlight mixes with light from the streetlamps. This work reflects the evolution of Anselmo Guinea’s work due to Impressionism, his full maturity, and the synthesis of his concerns: folkloric and anecdotal themes portrayed with a certain degree of irony, his personal colour scheme, and a precise treatment of the drawing.

Benito Barrueta (1873-1953)

Portrait of a Girl or Carmenchu

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 1962

This delicate, half-length portrait of a child reveals Barrueta’s deep admiration for Velázquez. The loose brushstrokes, somewhat imprecise contours, and lightly sketched lines create an ethereal and melancholic image, characteristic of the author’s portraits and interior scenes. A disciple of Antonio María Lecuona in Bilbao, Barrueta travelled to Paris in 1900 thanks to a grant from the City Council of Bermeo, his hometown. There he settled in the Bateau-Lavoir, a building where avant-garde artists resided. Upon his return to Bermeo due to the outbreak of World War I, he held the Drawing chair at the Escuela de Náutica and at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios.

Antonio María Esquivel (1806-1857)

Portrait of Two Girls in a Landscape, 1831

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 1987

Two adorable little girls, possibly twins, pose in beautiful empire-waist dresses. One of them is petting a dog, and the other has a little bird tied to her fingers with a rope, pets associated with fidelity and joy. The painting's aesthetics, somewhat affected and pretentious, reflect the bourgeois world that Esquivel captured quite effectively in numerous portraits. The artist began his studies at the Academia de Bellas Artes in Seville, and was named academician at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, where he taught classes in art anatomy. When he was on the verge of losing his sight, his colleagues and a group of poets paid for the costly treatment that allowed him to recover it.

Taller de Blasco de Grañén (1422-1459)

Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, c. 1437-1445

Tempera on board
Acquired in 1999

Saint Joachim and Saint Anne offer up their daughter Mary to the Lord in this scene from the story in the Apocryphal Gospels. She is received by the priest Zechariah at the top of a staircase of exactly fifteen steps. The painting was part of an altarpiece focused on the life of the Virgin, from which the museum has five other scenes. The artist surrounds the event with beautiful architecture, treated with striking, flat tempera colours and an intuitive perspective. Based on its style, with hints of international Gothic, it is attributed to the workshop of Blasco de Grañén, one of the most prolific members of the Aragonese school in the second quarter of the fifteenth century.

Felipe Manterola (1885-1977)

Composition of a vulture with a child, c. 1904-1936

Gelatin silver bromide on paper
Own production from the original cliché belonging to the artist's family in 1983

The scene represented in this photo montage captures fears within the collective unconscious: the primal fear of falling, from our early ancestors who lived in trees, or the fear of death, represented by the scavenger bird. This image straight out of childhood nightmares may allude to childhood lost (perhaps stolen) as a moment in time that we’ll never recover. Felipe Manterola, born in Zeanuri (Bizkaia), authored an extensive collection of photographs portraying the rural society he lived in, which was undergoing a major process of change at the time. Aside from his landscapes, group portraits, and folkloric scenes of festivals and children playing, he left behind this unusual image.

Antonio de Guezala (1889-1956)

Julio Guezala and his friends on the beach of Bakio, c. 1925

Gelatin silver bromide on paper
Own production from the original cliché belonging to the artist's family in 1992

Guezala was an artist with great creative freedom thanks to his comfortable position in society. Best known for his work as a painter and designer, he also was a prolific photographer, depicting his family environment and the landscapes around him. In this image, he captures his son with some friends at the seashore. A pool of stagnant water brought in by the waves acts as a mirror. The duplicate effect, type of composition, careful attention to form, and blurred background—a resource that the author often plays with—result in a unique work of art that transcends the mere photographic memento. This moving shot represents a happy childhood and the lively camaraderie of playing outdoors.

José Benito Bikandi (1894-1958)

Sorca (Basque Little Girl), c. 1926

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 1926

Sitting with childish modesty in a reclining, straw-bottomed chair that is better suited to her size than the chair seen on the left, the girl looks at us with humility and defencelessness. The vibrant colours are reminiscent of Fauvist style, while the loose brushstrokes bring the work closer to Expressionism. Bikandi studied at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios de Bilbao, where he was influenced by Ignacio Zuloaga, and continued his training in Madrid, Paris, and Rome thanks to a grant from the Bizkaia Provincial Council. In 1926 he settled in Argentina, where he achieved great prestige. He won the Gold Medal at the Paris International Exhibition in 1937. In the 1950s he held many exhibitions all over Europe.

Gustave Doré (1832-1883)

The Vagabonds, c. 1868-1869

Oil on canvas
Acquired in 2020

In the 1860s, French artists felt a strong attraction for everything Spanish, then considered exotic. This work reflects that trend, exalting the characters, who have an upright and almost proud bearing, although the children are portrayed as victims of their impoverished circumstances. Gustave Doré, primarily recognised for his work as an illustrator, published his first lithograph at the age of 15 and was extraordinarily prolific. After his trip to Spain in 1862, he produced a series of illustrations that appeared in the travel magazine Le Tour du Monde. His paintings, characterised by earth tones and impasto texture, reflect the influence of the Spanish Baroque.

Anónimo italiano

Portrait of a Lady with Child, c. 1570-1580

Oil on canvas
Donation from Mr. Óscar Alzaga Villaamil in 2021

The lady, wearing Spanish-style dress from the mid-sixteenth century, has a stiff, opulent demeanour and an impressive set of jewels. The child wears a typical costume of the European courts. Both appear in this enigmatic double portrait, whose overall style suggests that it was painted by an Italian artist. The sense of mystery is reinforced by the bouquet of flowers, which she offers to the little boy, and the desk on which he is perched. This type of furniture, with marquetry decoration representing architectural ruins, was made in German workshops. Meanwhile, the rug appears to have been produced in Alcaraz or Cuenca. The characters stare directly at us, as if they were sending us a message from the past that has yet to be deciphered.

Vanessa Winship (1960)

Bilbao, 2022

Digital image printed on baryta paper

This work is part of a collection of seventy-eight photographs commissioned in 2022 by Bilbao Metropoli-30 to three international photographers in order to capture Bilbao's evolution and metropolitan area over the past three decades. It aims to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Ría de Hierro, a project in which six photographers documented the industrial, urban, and human landscape in the 1990s. Vanessa Winship’s perspective stands out for its non-descriptive focus, which highlights the evocative and symbolic aspects of the images. Here, the toys in a display case, mainly realistic-looking baby dolls, invite us to reflect on the changes in roles and identities parallel to the transformation of our urban surroundings.

Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980)

¡Help Basque Children!, 1937

Color lithography on paper
Acquired in 2012

Kokoschka, a famous anarchist and anti-fascist, created this poster, whose preparatory sketch is also owned by the museum, for a fund-raising campaign in Europe for Basque children impacted by the Spanish Civil War. The scene on the left depicts the bombing of Gernika while showing the Czech Hradčany Castle in flames, as a premonition of the Nazi attack on Czechoslovakia. On the right is a serene view of Prague. In the foreground, a woman inspired by Dolores Ibárruri holds a child in her arms and another by the hand. This image refers to the innocent victims who, recruited as soldiers, killed or maimed, separated from their families and homes, suffer the worst consequences of war.

© Fondation Oskar Kokoschka, 2008, VEGAP, Madrid

John Davies (1946)

Child's View, 1997-2001

Polyester resin and paint
Acquired in 2009

John Davies studied painting at the Hull and Manchester Colleges of Art before attending the Slade School of Fine Art in London. His early works, influenced by surrealism, are related to the theatre of the absurd. The pieces he created throughout his career were deeply personal, but always rooted in imagination. Among them, we can highlight his stage boxes, inspired by puppet theatre, and series of different-sized heads, some tiny and others enormous, like this one. On the rough surface of the sculpture, whose white tone is reminiscent of plaster (although it is made of resin and polyester), a series of signs appears that guide our gaze towards that of the character.

Darío de Regoyos (1857-1913)

Bathing in Rentería, 1900

Oil on canvas
Contribution of the Bilbao City Council in 1913

The infinite shades of white, rosy tone of the child’s skin, and his posture, having just come out of the bath and leaning against the woman, touching the back of her chair in an embrace, create a mood of intimacy, serenity, and freshness. This captivating painting is an excellent example of the artist’s unique ability to suggest olfactory and tactile sensations, as well as feelings of love and attachment. The image evokes the sense of security associated with emotional connections in our early years. Mary Cassatt was one of the few female artists who managed to shine with her own light among her Impressionist colleagues, despite the prejudices of the era.

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)

Seated Woman with a Child in Her Arms, c. 1890

Oil on canvas
Contribution of the Provincial Council of Biscay in 1920

The infinite shades of white, rosy tone of the child’s skin, and his posture, having just come out of the bath and leaning against the woman, touching the back of her chair in an embrace, create a mood of intimacy, serenity, and freshness. This captivating painting is an excellent example of the artist’s unique ability to suggest olfactory and tactile sensations, as well as feelings of love and attachment. The image evokes the sense of security associated with emotional connections in our early years. Mary Cassatt was one of the few female artists who managed to shine with her own light among her Impressionist colleagues, despite the prejudices of the era.

Carlos Sáenz de Tejada (1897-1958)

Sad Little Girl, 1921

Oil and charcoal on canvas
Grant from the Provincial Council of Bizkaia in 1999

The scarcity of paint material, which even leaves the drawing visible, results in an ethereal image. The soft colours, in a range of greys with a faintly bluish tinge, help to create an extremely melancholic atmosphere and a mood of grief, reinforced by the girl’s lax position, with her back hunched over, her head tilted down, and her legs limp. Sáenz de Tejada began his career as an illustrator for several fashion publications and later worked for the Press Service of the National Army during the Spanish Civil War. He created numerous murals on public buildings and was a professor at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios Artísticos in Madrid.

© Saenz de Tejada, VEGAP, Bizkaia, 2024

Gabriel Cualladó (1925-2003)

Miguel Ángel, 1959

Gelatin silver bromide on paper baritado
Donation by the artist in 1985

Cualladó laboured in the fields as a teenager before working for his uncle's transport business in Madrid. His training as a self-taught artist (he considered himself a hobbyist) gave him creative freedom, and he was one of the creators who helped to renew Spanish photography in the second half of the twentieth century. He was a collector and one of the first proponents of photography being recognised as an artistic genre. In 1994 he won the National Photography Award. His subjects were his closest circle of family and friends, including the boy in this image, who poses casually during a holiday picnic. He is captured in light that highlights him against the garden background.

Henri Lebasque (1865-1937)

The loan of Peace, 1917

Color lithography on paper
Donation of private collection in 2013

In order to cover the costs of the war, the French government issued a series of bonds in the 1910s that it maintained after the armistice to support the country's reconstruction. This Lebasque poster was used to promote them. A group of men are making repairs in the background, while a woman in the foreground nurses her baby with her daughter beside her. The latter image, a symbol of repopulation, evokes the policies that encouraged people to have children, introduced at the time by the government. A disciple of Léon Bonnat, Lebasque settled in Paris in 1886 and had contact with Impressionists there. Together with Matisse, he founded the Salon d’Automne in 1903.