Artwork
La Cordobesa
La Cordobesa is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist George Owen Wynne Apperley. It dates from 1923 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
George Owen Wynne Apperley’s 1923 watercolour, titled La Cordónesa, bears the artist’s signature and date. The work combines a painted portrait with an incorporated photographic fragment, creating a layered visual narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman dressed in a dark, floral‑patterned gown and a black hat, her posture leaning forward with hands near her face, suggesting introspection. Below her, a faded grayscale photograph shows a building surrounded by a small crowd, hinting at a connection between the individual and a specific locale or event.
Technique & Style
Executed in transparent watercolour, the portrait employs a limited palette of deep tones against a solid dark background, emphasizing the figure’s silhouette. The integration of a photographic element within the painted surface reflects early twentieth‑century experimental approaches to mixed media.
History & Provenance
Signed and dated by Apperley in 1923, the piece reflects the artist’s activity during his later career. No further ownership records are provided, indicating that its provenance beyond the artist’s hand remains undocumented in the available sources.
Artist & collection
Artist
George Owen Wynne Apperley (1884-1960) was a British painter. Described as “one of the finest” of the late Romantic artists, he worked mainly in Spain and in North Africa.
