Concepción Miramón
1889. Oil on canvas Not on displayIn this three-quarters portrait, the lady is standing and slightly turned to the left. Her pose, with interlaced fingers, is very relaxed. Concepción Miramón de Duret´s father, General Miramón, was executed by a firing squad on orders of Emperor Maximilian. She lived in Rome when this portrait was made. Notable in this portrait of the Countess is her lack of jewels or sumptuous clothing. Indeed, her coat is the only somewhat ostentatious element, and the painter uses it to give the image a sense of immediacy, as it rests casually over the model´s arms, as though she had just removed it from her shoulders. This work was made at a time when the artist was closest to Rosales´ manner of painting. It is built with whites, blacks and the ochre background and, in turn, recalls the sobriety of Spanish portraits from the Golden Age, especially certain works by Velasquez. This influence is offset by the loose, rapid brushstrokes and low point of view that are Palmaroli´s most modern and characteristic elements. This work was bequeathed to the Museum of Modern Art by Concha Miramón´s son.