JOSÉ ROMERO ESCASSI | SERIES OF EIGHT COMMEMORATIVE LANDSCAPES | MADRID SCHOOL | WATERCOLOR ON CARDBOARD

A serial grouping, master of wash technique and documentary value. An original set of eight watercolors by José Romero Escassi, dated 1947, conceived as a private commemorative edition, documenting the atmospheric landscape of post-war Spain in a small format.

HISTORY AND CURATORIAL ANALYSIS

Landscape Documentation and Private Edition

José Romero Escassi (1914-1994), a relevant figure in Spanish art and illustration affiliated with the Generation of '36, articulates a multiple study of the natural environment in this series. The collection was not conceived as a traditional exhibition piece but as a carefully crafted private commemorative edition, as evidenced by the inscription in the lower margin: "Ana-Maria's Twentieth Birthday / December 11, 1947". This personal commission nature provides a rigorous chronological anchor and immediately places the works within the realm of intimate historical collecting.

The Wash Technique and Cabinet Format

Analyzing the material execution, the artist's ability to resolve spatial depth in strictly miniature dimensions (9 x 11.5 cm) stands out. Escassi uses fluid and rapid washes, prioritizing the capture of atmosphere—leaden skies, bare groves, and plains—over descriptive topographical detail. The series demonstrates precise control of moisture on the support, using the blank paper to establish areas of maximum light. The presence of original handwritten annotations on the reverse adds a strong ethnographic and sociological charge to the lot, documenting the artist's intellectual circle.

WHY THIS SERIES IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR COLLECTION?

• Exhibition Unit (Complete Series): The preservation of eight pieces conceived together and dated on the same day is a rarity in the art on paper market. It allows the collector to articulate a rhythmic and coherent visual discourse, possessing a museum value clearly superior to the sum of decontextualized pieces.

• Historical and Documentary Rigor: The explicit dating (1947) and commemorative inscriptions unequivocally place the series in the artist's early maturity. They act as a direct visual testimony of the cultural and social environment of post-war Madrid.

• Curatorial Robustness: Escassi is an established artist with a presence in institutional collections. Incorporating an original set that demonstrates his expertise in small-format landscape painting guarantees strong historiographical support for any collection specializing in 20th-century figuration.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Artist: José Romero Escassi (1914 – 1994).

• Title / Theme: Series of eight atmospheric landscapes (Commemorative edition).

• Year / Period: 1947 (Explicitly dated "December 11, 1947" in the lower margin).

• Technique and Support: Original watercolor on cardboard. Front with lower commemorative inscription; reverse with documented handwritten texts from the period.

• Documented Dimensions: 9 x 11.5 cm (each work).

• Signature: Autographically signed and dated ("Escassi 47") integrated into the pictorial area.

• Style / Movement: Post-war landscape painting / Illustration of the Generation of '36.

• Provenance: Private collection.

• Condition: Original condition from the period. The pictorial layers maintain excellent readability and the tonal freshness of the washes. As seen in the photographic record, the supports show generalized foxing (ferrous oxidation spots) on the perimeter margins, an inherent characteristic of the natural aging of cellulose from the 1940s that certifies its historical antiquity without compromising the readability of the landscape.

THE WORKSHOP NOTE

In the collecting of intimate format works on paper, value lies in the artist's skill to structure spatial depth with minimal brushstrokes. Romero Escassi achieves this here through a direct application of color, completely devoid of artifice and retouching. This collection is an unaltered visual document; an acquisition of profound historical character, designed to provide narrative coherence and strict documentary rigor to the cabinet groupings of a specialized collector.

Includes Collector's Dossier: This series is delivered with a research study, technical sheet, and curatorial context prepared and printed by El Taller del Coleccionista, certifying our research and known provenance.