Presentation of the painting by Julio Romero de Torres in the Casa Ibáñez Museum
“La consagración de la copla”, an imposing canvas measuring 228 by 285 centimetres, painted in tempera and oil by Julio Romero de Torres between 1911 and 1912, was presented to the public this Thursday afternoon at the Museo Casa Ibáñez -Ciudad de la Cultura-, after having been acquired by the Cosentino family last June, patron of the Fundación de Arte Ibáñez Cosentino.
Numerous personalities from the fields of politics and culture attended the presentation of a “referential painting” as defined by the professor and scholar of the work of the Cordovan painter (1874-1930) Javier Pérez Rojas, “which puts Olula del Río on the map of culture on an international level”.
“La consagración de la copla” is perhaps the author’s most significant work, it elevates the popular, “a liturgical song of the Andalusian soul”, said the specialist.
The painting reflects a symbolist play between mysticism and worldly sexuality, in a kind of thoughtful and elaborate irreverence. In the canvas, the artist portrays himself – something he did only three times. In the background, behind the church of Santa Marina and in front of a view of Córdoba, there is a Holy Week procession on the left, while on the right some knights can be seen in another superimposed play between the religious and the pagan, according to Pérez Rojas, who was in charge of introducing those present to the world of Romero de Torres.
Antonio Martínez Pascual, mayor of Olula del Río, highlighted the road that had to be travelled to get here, highlighting the difficult times that Casa Ibáñez went through in 2011, when the possibility of establishing itself in another province was considered. Then the City Council made a strong commitment, supported by the Provincial Council, then the company Cosentino and now “finally” said Pascual, the Junta de Andalucía joins in, taking advantage of the presence of the brand new delegate of Culture José Ángel Vélez.
Was the president of the Provincial Council, Javier Aureliano García, who emphasised that the work will be part of the permanent collection of the future Museum of Contemporary Spanish Realism, which will be installed in the old Provincial Hospital of Almería, an important 16th century Renaissance building owned by the Provincial Council that has just been refurbished with an investment of twelve million euros.
