Pascual Alcayne (19th century) ‘Zoco’

Oil on canvas. Genre scene. The composition is set in a dirt street in North Africa, flanked by deteriorated adobe walls. A seated woman, covered with a light ochre-toned hijab or veil and wearing an orange blouse, stands out. Towards the center and right, other figures in traditional dress and white or brown tunics walk and trade near street stalls covered with rustic awnings, beside which large wicker baskets rest. In the middle ground, a large stone arch of Islamic architecture opens onto the far end of the street beneath a patch of clear blue sky. The painting technique is characterized by loose, rapid, and impasto brushstrokes, prioritizing the capture of intense sunlight, reflections on fabrics, and the warm, dusty atmosphere of the place. Signed "P. Alcayne" and titled in the lower center of the work.

Size: 35 x 44 cm; Size with frame: 46.5 x 55.5 cm