Enrique Atalaya (1851–1913) - Retratos de damas con mantilla y tocado oriental

This rare pendant pair of oil paintings on fine wood panels by the Spanish master Enrique Atalaya (1851–1913) captures the essence of late 19th-century costumbrista and Orientalist portraiture.The top portrait depicts an elegant woman swathed in a traditional lace Spanish mantilla, rendered with delicate, feathered sfumato textures. The companion portrait shows a woman adorned in an exotic Orientalist headdress trimmed with glistening golden coins, viewed through a sheer, transparent face veil. Atalaya’s miniature virtuosity shines through his rapid, fine brushwork, setting the figures against a heavily textured grey-blue background that gives the wood panels an almost woven textile appearance. Both artworks are meticulously preserved in matching, deeply carved gold-gilded frame moldings custom-crafted by the artisan workshop Olarra in Madrid.
The frame visible in the photo is included as a courtesy and is not an integral part of the artwork. Damage to the frame will not be a valid reason for claims or cancellation of the order