The Museo de Arte de Ponce Presents Its Most Important Recent Acquisition: The Battle of Treviño

PONCE, PR.- With the unveiling of The Battle of Treviño, by Puerto Rican painter Francisco Oller y Cestero (1833–1917), theMuseo de Arte de Ponce celebrates the acquisition of a nineteenth-century masterpiece that has never before been exhibited publicly — a painting whose very existence, in fact, was unsuspected until just a few years ago. The work was part of a private collection that had been in the hands of a single family in Spain for over 130 years.

“We are celebrating the arrival in Puerto Rico of The Battle of Treviño, a masterpiece by the island’s most talented and beloved nineteenth-century painter. It is a source of great pride for our institution that we are able to give both scholars and the public in general access to this important work, which now becomes a part of Puerto Rico’s artistic patrimony,” said Dr. Agustín Arteaga, director and chief executive officer of the Museo de Arte de Ponce.

The Battle of Treviño represents a very significant historical moment. During much of the nineteenth century, Spain was in the midst of a series of civil wars, the Carlist Wars of Succession, waged between the supporters of Isabel II (the “Isabelino Liberals”) and the supporters of Infante Carlos (the “Carlists”) over who would succeed Ferdinand VII, the father of Isabel and brother of Carlos. On July 7, 1875, during the third Carlist War, Liberal troops fought for control of the town of Vitoria, south of Bilbao. Colonel Juan Contreras y Martínez, with fewer than a hundred lancers against the many-times-greater Carlist army, attacked the enemy troops on the left flank of a mountain and overcame the powerful battalion. The victory in the Battle of Treviño became a rallying point and propaganda coup for the Liberal government of Spain and opened the door to Col. Contreras’ appointment as King Alfonso XII’s aide-de-camp.

Stylistically, the painting represents Oller’s mature style. The subject matter and mood of the work are clearly inspired by aspects of Spanish Realism, while the loose, rapid brushwork and the atmospheric qualities of the scene suggest Oller’s assimilation of the principles of Impressionism. All this creates a style that reflects Oller’s desire to capture on canvas the visual aspects of action, the imbalance between the contending sides, and the immediacy of the chaotic moment.

Related posts:

1. Brooklyn Museum Appoints Richard Aste Curator of European Art
2. Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna Presents Matthew Day Jackson Exhibition
3. Albright-Knox Shows Recent Acquisition of All or Nothing by Pipilotti RistAlbright-Knox Shows Recent Acquisition of All or Nothing by Pipilotti Rist
4. Royal Air Force Museum Unveils The Battle Of Britain Beacon
5. Italy’s Largest and Most Important Art Fair Arte Fiera Art First Celebrates Contemporary Art