Untimely Visit

genre

The Untimely Visit was probably painted during a brief sojourn of Zamacois in Rome in 1868, and depicts the moment an ecclesiastic made an unexpected visit to a painter's workshop, set in the 18th century. The artist portrayed in this picture, who happens to be painting a female nude, gets rid of his unforeseen guest while his model covers herself in a gesture of modesty. After his trip to Rome Zamacois was greatly acclaimed for such scenes, in which by means of embarrassing situations he ridiculed the ecclesiastical world.

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About the Artist

Eduardo Zamacois Y Zabala

1841 – 1871

Spanish painter, watercolourist. He began his studies under Joaquín Balaca (d. c. 1820) and Federico da Madrazo (1815-1894) at the Academia de Bellas Artes in Madrid, before going to Paris as a pupil of Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier. Subsequently he struck up a friendship with Mariano Fortuny. He first exhibited in Madrid at the 1860 Exposición Nacional and in Paris at the 1863 Salon. He won third-class medals in 1862, 1864 and 1867. In scenes where humour plays an important part, he revealed a somewhat affected but nonetheless solid talent for everything in the way of genre scenes, carnivals, fancy dress and masks, beaming priests, court jesters and street musicians. In a more serious vein, Zamacois y Zabala painted very dignified scenes of a monastic refectory, and a princess protected by a bodyguard and a large dog.

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