Carlos Vázquez Úbeda (1869-1944) - Still life with copper pot, fruit and flowers

Late still life by Carlos Vázquez Úbeda (Ciudad Real, 1869 – Barcelona, 1944), painted in 1940, during the final stage of the artist’s life. In these years, Vázquez moved away from strict academic precision and embraced a more intimate, instinctive and human approach to form. The slightly relaxed perspective, the softened outlines and the tactile brushwork are characteristic of his late style, cherished by collectors for its warmth, honesty and emotional presence.

The composition features a copper pot, a wicker basket with apples, a footed fruit bowl overflowing with grapes and citrus, plums, a slice of cake with serving knife, and a blue Spanish jug filled with daisies, all arranged in a quiet tabletop setting. The light reflects softly on the copper and fruit skins, creating an atmosphere of domestic calm and lived memory. It is a still life of contemplation rather than display, painted by an artist who had already said and seen much.

Condition: The canvas is in exceptionally good and stable condition, clean and well-preserved, with no structural issues. Minor age-related wear only.
Technique: Oil on canvas, original support and stretcher.
Dimensions: 75.5 × 97.5 cm (canvas).
Frame: Unframed.
Date and Signature: Signed and dated 1940.
Period: Late work, painted just four years before the artist’s death in 1944.

Provenance: Private aristocratic collection (Spain). Acquired mid-20th century by Joaquín Rubio Ramírez de Verger, 5th Marqués de Casa Rábago, who collected painting through the Barcelona gallery circuit of the time (Sala Parés / Galerías Layetanas). The painting has remained in the same family for over 80 years, ensuring continuous and traceable history.

Documentation: No restoration certificates found; provenance supported by uninterrupted family ownership.
Condition Report: No visible restorations; stable paint layer; original texture preserved.

Shipping: Professional packaging, reinforced for international transport, shipped with tracking and insurance included.

Carlos Vázquez Úbeda is represented in major museums including the Museo Nacional del Prado and the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. Works from his late period are significantly rarer on the market and are valued for their emotional closeness, their gentle construction and their directness. This piece is an excellent and authentic example of that final, reflective phase: an artwork with warmth, story, and noble provenance, offered now for the first time in generations.