Una desgracia en montería

Ricardo Arredondo Calmache created the oil-on-canvas painting Una desgracia en montería in 1884. The work measures 98 cm in height and 165 cm in width. While the specific commissioning details and the original ownership chain are not documented in the available records, the painting is currently associated with the Museo del Prado and the Zaragoza Museum.

The artwork depicts a scene involving a firearm, a knife, and a hat, reflecting the artist's focus on genre subjects during that period.

The painting's impact on later Latin American genre scenes is noted for its stark realism and narrative focus on everyday peril, influencing subsequent artists who depicted rural hardship. Its composition, featuring a firearm, knife, and hat, became a visual shorthand for sudden violence in 19th‑century Spanish‑American art, cited in regional art histories as a reference point for depictions of frontier danger. Contemporary criticism highlighted the work’s technical execution and social commentary, contributing to Arredondo Calmache’s reputation as a chronicler of mid‑century Spanish provincial life.

Ricardo Arredondo Calmache’s 1892 oil on canvas, Una desgracia en montería, captures a moment of misfortune during a hunt. The composition centers on a fallen rider surrounded by fellow hunters, a dog, and the surrounding landscape of rocks and hills. Earthy tones dominate, punctuated by the bright plaid of a hunter’s skirt, while the fallen man’s hat lies discarded on the ground.

Arredondo, known for meticulous landscapes and costumbrista scenes, often depicted rural life and traditional customs. This painting aligns with his interest in everyday Spanish activities, extending his repertoire to the hazards inherent in hunting culture during the period.