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Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta was born in the small town of Eibar, situated between the Pyrenean mountains in the Spanish Basque Country, in 1870. His father worked, decorated and sold metals and Ignacio helped him. During a joint trip to Rome he decided to become a painter. He left the Basque Country and travelled at the age of 18 to the vibrant artistic metropolis of Paris, where he lived and studied under modest conditions for five years. He met Gauguin, Ramon Casas and other late impressionists personally and they visibly influenced him. He worked on his first painting for six months, it was exhibited in Paris in 1890.
Scarce funds and a lack of prospects for the future frustrated his plans for further travel and stays abroad. He settled in Seville and then in Segovia. His experience and maturity began to be reflected in a personal painting technique that blended with the traditional Spanish drawing style. While his works had been rejected for an international exhibition in Brussels in 1900, they were hung on the wall at the 1901 and 1903 Venice Art Exhibition. In 1911, one of his most highly regarded works was created: "El Cristo de la sangre" (Bleeding Christ). It shows a mystically gloomy depiction of the crucified Messiah and expresses in an artistic way the popular feeling in Spain at that time. The oil painting was exhibited in Paris in 1912 and was positively evaluated. Ignacio Zuloaga was soon afterwards mentally and artistically involved in the turmoil of two world wars and the Spanish Civil War. The artist experienced his last days in 1945 in Madrid. His drawing of Toledo and his portrait with a beret were printed on the 500 pesetas banknote in 1954.
Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta was born in the small town of Eibar, situated between the Pyrenean mountains in the Spanish Basque Country, in 1870. His father worked, decorated and sold metals and Ignacio helped him. During a joint trip to Rome he decided to become a painter. He left the Basque Country and travelled at the age of 18 to the vibrant artistic metropolis of Paris, where he lived and studied under modest conditions for five years. He met Gauguin, Ramon Casas and other late impressionists personally and they visibly influenced him. He worked on his first painting for six months, it was exhibited in Paris in 1890.
Scarce funds and a lack of prospects for the future frustrated his plans for further travel and stays abroad. He settled in Seville and then in Segovia. His experience and maturity began to be reflected in a personal painting technique that blended with the traditional Spanish drawing style. While his works had been rejected for an international exhibition in Brussels in 1900, they were hung on the wall at the 1901 and 1903 Venice Art Exhibition. In 1911, one of his most highly regarded works was created: "El Cristo de la sangre" (Bleeding Christ). It shows a mystically gloomy depiction of the crucified Messiah and expresses in an artistic way the popular feeling in Spain at that time. The oil painting was exhibited in Paris in 1912 and was positively evaluated. Ignacio Zuloaga was soon afterwards mentally and artistically involved in the turmoil of two world wars and the Spanish Civil War. The artist experienced his last days in 1945 in Madrid. His drawing of Toledo and his portrait with a beret were printed on the 500 pesetas banknote in 1954.