La Fuensanta

La Fuensanta
ArtistJulio Romero de Torres
Year1929
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions100 cm × 80 cm (39 in × 31 in)
LocationPrivate collection

La Fuensanta is a portrait painting by Spanish artist Julio Romero de Torres depicting María Teresa López González, one of Torres' models. Gonzalez is depicted with her arms resting on a copper cauldron. The painting was made in the autumn of 1929, when Torres completed another two artworks, La Chiquita Piconera and Bodegas Cruz Conde.[1] "Fuensanta" is a Spanish girl’s name that means "holy fountain."

Born in Argentina, González moved with her family to Torres' native town of Córdoba after World War I.[2] After she first sat for Torres at the age of fourteen, González became one of his favourite models whose likeness is most closely associated to Torres.[2] According to Sotheby's, the work has been "proclaimed as a quintessential rendition of Andalucian beauty".[2] It was depicted for 25 years on the 100 peseta banknote.

  1. ^ Mundinteractivos (15 November 2007). "La 'Fuensanta' de Romero de Torres se subasta por cerca de 1,2 millones de euros". elmundo.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Iconic Cultural Image Heads Selection of Works by Top Spanish Artists" (PDF). Sotheby's. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 Aug 2015.