The Drunkard
Ca. 1835. Oil on cardboard.Not on display
The artist is famous for his genre scenes inspired by the works of Teniers and Wouwerman, which he saw at the Museo del Prado. Alenza is considered the great narrator of the poorest and most marginalised classes of society in Madrid. He used a critical eye for his paintings, close to that of Goya. It also shows his characteristic rapid, fluent brushstrokes and his taste for scenographic lighting. Despite its small size, this work is a magnificent example of this type of painting in the artist´s oeuvre, as well as displaying his characteristic rapid, unrestrained brushstrokes and his taste for scenographic lighting. The work depicts a drunken man at the door of a tavern. The drunkard, who appears to be singing, is dragging his cloak. He holds his hat in his hand, his shirt and breeches are unbuttoned, his socks have fallen down and he has lost one of his shoes.
Mena Marqués, M.; Albarrán, V., Azúa, F. de, La belleza cautiva. Pequeños tesoros del Museo del Prado = La bellesa captiva. Petits tresors del Museo del Prado, Barcelona, Museo del Prado - Obra Social "La Caixa", 2014, p.196
