Original humorous drawing signed F. Esquerdo and dated 1950, executed in ink and watercolor on paper. The composition depicts a stout man, dressed in a white shirt, orange tie, and gray trousers, while a small tailor struggles to take his measurements with a tape measure.
The artist constructs the scene based on the contrast between the exaggerated proportions of both characters. The client's carefree expression is contrasted with the tailor's strenuous posture, creating a comic situation without the need for text.
The execution combines agile and confident black contour lines with gray, pink, and orange watercolor washes. The large empty spaces on the paper focus attention on the protagonists, while the shadows cast at their feet provide a subtle sense of depth.
The work is inscribed in the tradition of graphic humor and costumbrist caricature of the mid-20th century, with a style close to post-war Spanish humorous illustration.
Technical Sheet
Artist: F. Esquerdo.
Descriptive title: The tailor and the stout client.
Date: 1950.
Technique: Ink and watercolor on paper.
Work dimensions: 30 × 21 cm.
Dimensions with frame: 33 × 24.5 cm.
Signature: F. Esquerdo, dated, in the lower right corner.
Condition: Paper with aged tone and perceptible darkening, especially towards the edges. The black strokes and color washes are well preserved.
Presentation: Light wood frame.
Studio Note
An especially expressive illustration within F. Esquerdo's body of work, in which the humor arises from the physical contrast between the characters. The economy of the drawing and the artist's ability to narrate an everyday situation through a few gestures and a very clear composition stand out.
