Pintaores: Portraits of the Flamenco Woman
Flamenco Art in Painting: A Deep Connection
Pepe Marchena once sang: “One morning, in Córdoba, one morning, Julio Romero painted Soleá, the gypsy, and his brushes trembled at her sovereign beauty.” Julio Romero de Torres was born in Córdoba in 1874 and became one of the greatest painters of Spanish and flamenco women. As one of the early “pintaores,” artists captivated by flamenco, he integrated this passion into his creations. Many poets (like Federico García Lorca and Francisco Moreno Galván) have also embraced flamenco, each adding to the art’s multifaceted identity.
This November 9 marks the 150th anniversary of Romero de Torres’s birth , with commemorations to celebrate his legacy, including events at Córdoba’s San Rafael cemetery, where Romero de Torres is buried, and the premiere of a documentary, Mira qué bonita es, where eight of his paintings come to life through dance.
The Flamenco Woman in Julio Romero de Torres’s Art
Romero de Torres’s works intimately connect with flamenco and the gypsy world throughout his career.His notable paintings include La Niña de los Peines, a portrait of the legendary singer from Seville Cante Hondo, commemorating the 1922 Cante de Granada Competition, La consagración de la copla, featuring the dancer Pastora Imperio; andAlegrías,
portraying the Barcelona-born dancer Julia Borrull.
The influence between Romero de Torres and flamenco flowed both ways. His final painting, La chiquita piconera, is perhaps his most iconic. It features a young Córdoba woman, María Teresa López set against a Cordoban landscape. This work inspired numerous songs, sung by artists like Concha Piquer, Imperio de Triana, and even Rosalía. It also influenced Paco de Lucía’s Canción Andaluza and the famous Sevillanas by Los de la Trocha.
Painting as a Flamenco Legacy: From Romero de Torres to Today
Portrait inspired by the painter Julio Romero de Torres with Eva Blanch“I wanted to become part of flamenco, to be a pintor, one of them. [Mostrar] how visual art can embody flamenco,” says Patricio Hidalgo in the documentary Menese, where he also painted a portrait of the Seville-born singer for the film’s cover. An artist from La Puebla de Cazalla, he captures iconic 20th-century singers like Paco de Lucía, Antonio Mairena, and Fernanda de Utrera in their moments of musical transcendence, aiming to capture duende, the spirit of flamenco, in oil paint. At the recent Seville Biennale, his work was displayed in the exhibition Yunque, trazo y alcayata Yunque, trazo y alcayata, inspired by Camarón’s song en Otra galaxia . Among contemporary artists, Iván Lucas, creates flamenco-themed exhibitions and festivals, while Miquel Barceló, is known for designing the cover of Camarón’s final album, Potro de rabia y miel
, as well as for painting the latest Seville Biennale poster. Guitarist Tomás Lorenzo also undertakes a unique project, “Drawing Flamenco,” where he plays alongside singers like Capullo de Jerez or Israel Fernández, drawing their music as he listens.
Flamenco in Painting: A Living Legacy
“What the visual artist seeks in flamenco is depth and expressive essence,” wrote Andalusian painter Antonio Povedano Bermúdez of Romero de Torres. “Captar ese aura de misterio y drama que gravita sobre los que llevan el flamenco en el corazón y la garganta: Romero de Torres lo llevaba entrañado en lo más profundo y auténtico de su ser”, escribe en su texto para la Universidad de Córdoba, en la que cuenta que el pintor cordobés intentó incluso probar su suerte como cantaor en un café cantante llamado La Unión.
At the Tablao de Carmen, painting stands alongside flamenco’s music, dance, and song. Behind the performers, a large flamenco still life by Córdoba-born painter Miguel Rasero graces the stage. Even our logo is an homage to flamenco, featuring Carmen Amaya (the legendary dancer honored by the Tablao de Carmen), painted in Mexico in 1939 by Valencian painter Ruano Llopis. “Carmen Amaya, prodigy of flamenco art, with admiration and affection,” Llopis inscribed on his painting, capturing with his brush the magic, or duende, of flamenco, following the legacy of Julio Romero de Torres.
