03 Paintings by Julio Romero de Torres' El pecado (The Sin), La Gracia (The Grace) and Las dos sendas (The Two Paths), with footnotes

Julio Romero de Torres, Cordoba, Spain, 1874 - 1930

El pecado (The Sin), c. 1913

Oil and tempera on canvas

185 x 202 cm

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

During the period from 1908-15, Julio Romero de Torres was inspired and deeply influenced by the Gallegan modernist writer and dramatist Ramon de Vallé-Inclàn. Not only did the writer lend the artist the titles of many of the paintings of this period, including that of the present work, but the artist strove to interpret on canvas the philosophy which served as the foundation of Vallé-Inclàn’s modernistic poetic theatre. His was a philosophy of duality, of the eternal coexistence of good and bad, which was also a tenet the Spanish philosopher and poet Rubén Dario espoused in his treatise Sensuality and Purity (Sensualidad y Pureza).

Artistically, Romero de Torres was influenced by both the established tradition of Spanish painting, culminating in the work of Francesco Goya at the beginning of the 19th century, as well as that of the Italian Old Masters studied on the artist’s trip to Italy in 1908 (fig. 1). Indeed, his artistic career can be divided into two periods; his formative years to 1908, during which he evolved through the Romantic tradition learned from his father (who was the museum director of the Museo de Bellas Artes de Córdoba), and after 1908, when his work developed into a more modern and theatrical representation.

This piece from 1915 is a product of the painter’s period of artistic maturity. Julio Romero de Torres conceived the piece, “El Pecado,” (The Sin) as a complement to the painting, “La Gracia,” (Grace) (See below). Julio Romero de Torres expresses it in a magnificent way in this painting "The Sin". Together with Grace and the painting titled, “Las dos sendas,” or The Two Paths, they form the trilogy on the same subject. These three paintings come together in their meaning, constituting a veritable painting cycle in which the heroic character is women. The duality of the moral code is a constant subject in the Romero de Torres artwork: the good and bad path, the mystic love and the profane love.

The scene unravels with a green sunset with the Almodóvar Castle in the background; in the foreground, the Chruch of Saint Hipólito in Córdoba and the beauty of the nude woman, lying down in a similar way to the Velázquez Venus, back-turned indifferent to the scene that is taking place before her. Four old gossiping women dressed for mourning argue about the convenience and occasion of the sin. The honor of this woman is the object of an animated conversation among them. More on this painting

Julio Romero de Torres, Cordoba, Spain, 1874 - 1930

La Gracia/ The Grace, c. 1915

Oil and tempera on canvas

w200 x h185 cm

Museo Julio Romero de Torres

The subject is mystic love and profane love and women are the protagonist of this duality. Julio Romero de Torres uses for this reason the same model as in "The Sin"; a complementary work without which it would not be possible to understand completely this piece.

In this canvas from 1915 it is observed the fall of a young nude woman that is subtly carried by two nuns. Just behind them, in the center is an old lady, symbol of wisdom. She keeps a redeeming attitude and seems to forgive the woman for just losing her honor. At the right, a woman dressed in black cries while she is holding a sprig of lily in her hand, symbol of lost purity. In the background, an imaginary landscape full of green and blue light and contrasts. On the left, the Saint Raphael Cemetery to the left, the Fuensanta Church, the River Guadalquivir, the Calahorra and the Campo de la Verdad, the Roman bridge, the Mosque and its tower, the façade of the Santa Marina Church, San Lorenzo, the architectural landscape of Córdoba and the Sierra Morena. More on this painting

Julio Romero de Torres  (1874–1930)

Las dos sendas/ The Two Paths, c. 1915

Oil and tempera on canvas

height: 171.5 cm (67.5 in); width: 141 cm (55.5 in)

Private collection

In Las dos sendas, Romero de Torres addresses the moral dichotomy of the modern world. With the juxtaposition of the three figures in the foreground, the artist suggests pictorially the bases of the arguments set forth in the Spanish Modernist philosophy of the early 20th century. By consecrating the duality of the human spirit, which Romero de Torres recognized to be simultaneously infused with joy and weighed down with afflictions, the artist creates a revolutionary popular image and uses it to subvert the accepted religious ritual.

Romero de Torres exhibited Las dos sendas at the National Paintings competition in 1912 but did not receive a medal, despite overwhelming support from the press and the artist’s intellectual supporters. However, the work was awarded the Gold Medal at the International Exhibition in Munich in 1913. This work is the first in the artist’s oeuvre to demonstrate the mystical enigmatic language with its powerful narrative elements that is so characteristic of the later works of Julio Romero de Torres. More on this painting

Julio Romero de Torres (9 November 1874 – 10 May 1930) began to paint under the instruction of his father, the well-known Andalucian artist and teacher, Rafael Romero Barros. Whilst growing up and studying art, he was exposed to the exciting emergence of Realism, Impressionism and Symbolism, giving rise to a unique style in which he combined the Realist traditions of Gustave Courbet and Mariano Fortuny, the photographic portraiture of Federico de Madrazo and the Impressionism of Aureliano de Beruete, Dario de Regoyos and Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida. His early career developed well and he was rewarded with a mention of honour at the 1895 National Exhibition went on to win third class medals in 1899 and 1904.

Romero de Torres once described himself as a 'painter from the soul of Andalucia’. In the present work we see how he focused upon subjects based on folklore, in particular 'la mujer morena’ or brown skinned beauty. The strongly drawn sitter leans elegantly on a glazed ceramic amphora. She gazes directly at the viewer in a calm and cool manner inviting admiration and interest. Her elegant draped clothing and jewellery contrast with the mundane task of gathering water, but the work is pervaded by a sense of nobility and timelessness.. More on Julio Romero de Torres

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