Feline Soul (Alma Felina)

In this painting, Juan José Gárate abandons costumbrista themes for a scene loaded with Romanticist touches. The protagonist is a woman lying on a divan and lost in a memory. The light is all on her torso, which is semi-naked as one of the straps of her sensual gossamer dress has fallen down onto her arm. The composition is enriched by the textures of the surrounding brocade and gold fabrics; in the background, a Japanese decoration increases the sense of drama.