Pilgrimage Festival - Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

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Pilgrimage Festival

Arrue, José

Bilbao, 01/09/1885-Llodio, Álava, 05/04/1977

Oil on panel

45.5 x 56 cm

José ARRUE (bottom left hand corner)

1908

Early 20th century

82/86

Bequeathed by Laureano de Jado in 1927

  • Pilgrimage Festival, one of a number of versions he produced on the theme of the religious procession, usually to a rural religious shrine, is paradigmatic of his style. Dozens of meticulously rendered characters are portrayed with an attention to detail that, despite the scale and the crowding, actually individualizes them. The distance the theme imposes allows him to describe the landscape in some detail, as it moves away to the broad horizon. Two stages emerge from the festive throng. The central one, with its red awning echoing the berets of the musicians, makes a surprising contrast with the rest of the painting. Amongst the country people, easily identifiable from their dress and who make up the large majority of the festival goers, there are several city types, like the two young women crossing the foreground and the group of men in the lower right angle. There, sitting under a stand with a canvas roof, are the brothers José, with his back to the spectator, and Alberto Arrue. (Javier Viar)

Selected bibliography

  • Plasencia, Antonio. Catálogo de las obras de pintura y escultura del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao. Bilbao, Imprenta Provincial, 1932. p. 71, n° cat. 341. (Con el título Romería, y atribuido a José Arrúe)
  • Bengoechea, Javier de. Catálogo de arte moderno y contemporáneo del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao. Bilbao, Banco de Vizcaya, 1980. p. 21. (Con el título Romería)
  • Mur Pastor, Pilar. La Asociación de Artistas Vascos. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao ; Caja de Ahoros Vizcaína, 1985. pp. 130-131.
  • "La Asociación de Artistas Vascos", Guía de Exposiciones, n° 62. 1986. s. p., n° cat. 6.
  • "Cuales fueron los dieciseis cuadros enviados por los rojos al Extranjero, otros trece han sido encontrados en el Carlton", Hierro. 28 de septiembre de 1937. p. 3.
  • Larrínaga, José Antonio. Los cuatro Arrue : artistas vascos. Bilbao, [s. n.], 1990. p. 82, il.
  • Guía Artistas Vascos. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2008. pp. 90-91.
  • Gida Euskal Artistak. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Eder Museoa, 2008. pp. 90-91.
  • Guide Basque Artists. Bilbao, Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, 2012. pp. 90-91, n° cat. 43a.