ANTONIO DE BRUGADA VILA

(1804 / 1863)

ANTONIO DE BRUGADA VILA Madrid (1804) / San Sebastián (1863) "View of the lighthouse at Cape Ferret, near Bordeaux", 1844

Oil on canvas Signed and dated in the lower right corner. On the back, an inscription by the painter: "View of the lighthouse built at Cap Ferret near La Teste, near Bordeaux" This beautiful landscape of the French coast offers us an interesting mix of the typical romanticism of Brugada's work, which is especially evident in the colours, where pink, blue and gold tones bathe the sky and the sea; and a more topographical and historical character, as it faithfully represents the recently inaugurated Cap Ferret lighthouse and its beaches. In addition, crossing the scene we find a boat with the flag "I2", in which two sailors are transporting a woman and a child who would be crossing the bay. This sailing boat belonged to the frigate Isabel II (I2), which was being repaired in the shipyards of the nearby city of Bordeaux. Antonio de Brugada was well acquainted with the Bordeaux area, as he had been exiled there for political reasons since 1823, and this work must be put in relation to the commission he received in 1841 from the Ministry of the Navy to portray the paddle steamer Isabel II, the first steamship owned by the Navy, of British origin, which was refurbished in the shipyards of Bordeaux after about six years of service and in a lamentable state. Brugada made three versions of the ship: "The steamer Isabel II anchored near the coast", in 1841, "The steamer Isabel II in a rough sea", in 1842, both in the Santamarca foundation and, "The war steamer of the Spanish Navy Isabel II", preserved in the Naval Museum and dated 1843. A cataloging report of the work signed by Enrique Arias Anglés is attached. Reference bibliography: -Arias, A., "Antonio de Brugada, painter, romantic and liberal", Madrid City Council, ed. Avapíes, 1989 -González de Canales, F., "Antonio de Brugada. Painter of naval battles", Naval history magazine, 2022 Measurements: 90 x 128 cm