PRETTY, OR PRETTY NAFF?
Cordoban painter Julio Romero de Torres is much loved in his home town, and around Spain - his works, which you`ll see on posters everywhere, have adorned postage stamps and bank notes, and inspired songs and films. However he is widely derided by both art critics and feminists for being kitsch, and demeaning to women. His favourite subjects were the classic stereotypical Andalucian clichés: bullfighters, gypsy women and flamenco dancers, as well as lots of nudes; you can see some of his most famous works, Naranjos y Limones, La Chiquita Piconera, and Cante Hondo, in his family home, now a museum adjoining the Museo Bellas Artes (his father was its director). The smaller portraits of Cordoban women are worth a look, interesting for their subject matter and details rather than their hyper-realistic style.
