Francisco Rafael Segura y Monforte (Spanish, 1875–1954)

Untitled

Oil on canvas 

No visible signature

Visible 40 1/4 in. x 31 3/4 in., framed to 45 in. x 36 1/2 in.

A powerful painting of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939. In the foreground are two men, one in Franciscan robes and the other in a soldier's uniform, with more soldiers bearing flags in the background. The artist centers the viewer's gaze upon the friar. His serene profile is laden with sorrowful, if calm, understanding of his own fate, and also the fate of his country. 

Clerical violence was widespread during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), with thousands of Catholics, including many Franciscans, facing prosecution from the leftist Republicans for their support of the recently abolished monarchy. It is unclear whether the soldiers are Republicans, leading him to martyrdom, or fascist Nationalists, guiding him elsewhere. 

The Spanish Civil War was fought between the Republicans, the Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic that included socialists and communists with the support of the Soviet Union, and the Nationalists, a coalition of fascist Falangists, monarchists, and conservatives, with backing by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Beginning in 1936, after a partially failed coup by a military junta against the Popular Front, factions erupted into violence across the country. The Nationalists, led by Francisco Franco, emerged victorious. On 1 April 1939, Franco entered the capital and established his dictatorship, which persisted until his death in 1975. 

Most of the corpus of Francisco Rafael Segura y Monforte's (1875-1954) paintings are domestic portraits, countryside landscapes, and genre scenes showing both peasants and urban laborers at work. This work sensitively portrays both participants and victims of the Spanish Civil War, which he witnessed firsthand. 

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio. 

[Art, Folk Art, Military Art, Etching, Engraving, Lithographs, Prints, Ephemera] [Spain, Spanish Civil War, Republicans, Nationalists]