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86 - Spanish School. Second half of the 19th century.

Estimate €1,800 - €3,000
Sale commission
Description
Spanish School. Second half of the 19th century. “Boy in a sailor’s outfit at the commercial port of Cartagena” Oil on canvas. Relined. 77 x 58 cm. Portrait of a young boy standing on a harbour quay, dressed in an elegant white and blue sailor suit, a straw hat with a black ribbon, and a gold watch chain visible across his chest. The figure is depicted against the backdrop of a busy commercial port, surrounded by barrels and bales bearing shipping and trade markings. Several barrels are inscribed with the words “CARTAGE...” or “CARTA...”, referring to Cartagena. Merchant vessels flying Spanish flags, together with a vessel carrying a French flag, further emphasize the international character of the maritime trade represented in the scene. In the background, a tower or lighthouse rises from a coastal promontory, suggesting a Mediterranean setting. Although a precise identification cannot be confirmed, the scene is consistent with the port of Cartagena during the period of commercial expansion experienced by the city in the second half of the nineteenth century. The boy’s attire, particularly the sailor suit and gold watch chain, indicates a prosperous social background. Rather than depicting an everyday scene, the painting appears to reflect the bourgeois taste of the period for presenting children as heirs to the family’s success and status. The careful rendering of barrels, bales, commercial markings, and ships suggests that the harbor is not merely a decorative backdrop but a direct reference to the economic activity of the sitter’s family. The work therefore combines the traditions of child portraiture and maritime commercial imagery, offering an evocative glimpse into the mercantile society of nineteenth-century Spain.
About the sale Dialogues with the Past: Vestigia
Auction location
Auction time 07/02/2026 at 7:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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