The Beautiful Bandurria Player 1870

Raimundo de Madrazo painted this oil on canvas titled The Beautiful Bandurria Player sometime during his career. The painting depicts a fashionable woman seated in a verdant landscape, serenading an unseen audience with a bandurria, a Spanish instrument similar to a lute. Made during a time of great social and artistic change in Spain, this painting reflects the country's interest in its own cultural traditions. We might ask ourselves whether the woman playing the bandurria reflects the reality of music making and its impact in Spain. The bandurria itself is a symbol here, a celebration of Spanish folk culture. Madrazo’s image is as much about the social rituals of music as it is about technical skill. By situating the painting within its historical and cultural context, and examining related literature from the period, we can start to appreciate the social and cultural milieu that shaped both the artist and his work.