El guitarrista (maqueta) (The Guitarist [Model])

In the first three decades of the twentieth century, and anchored in prior international experiences, for instance Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, a series of dance companies surfaced in Spain which, having been active in other countries, approached Spanish dance from experimental standpoints. One of the most distinguished was Ballets Espagnols, the company of Antonia Mercé, La Argentina. Following the success in Paris of Manuel de Falla’s gitanería (Romani dance) El amor brujo (Love, the Sorcerer), La Argentina embarked on a tour in the 1920s, taking place in Germany, Italy and Paris. The company was backed by a collective of Spanish writers, composers and painters who made up its repertoire, including Carlos Sáenz de Tejada, the eclectic painter, draughtsman, muralist and illustrator. La Argentina, a standout figure in the Silver Age of Spanish culture, knew how to marry local popular tradition with external avant-garde influences. For the collaboration with La Argentina, Sáenz de Tejada produced posters for Ballets Espagnols and wooden maquettes with different characters from Boléro by Maurice Ravel.



Lola Hinojosa