José Arrue y Valle, usually known as José Arrue (September 1, 1885 – April 6, 1977) was a
Basque painter who lived in Spain.
Arrue came from an artistic family: his father, Lucas Arrue, was an art collector, and his three brothers, Alberto,
Ramiro
Ramiro is a Spanish and Portuguese name. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Ramiro I of Asturias (c. 790–850), king of Asturias
* Ramiro II of León (c. 900–951), king of Leon
* Ramiro III of León (961–985), king of Leon
* ...
, and Ricardo, were also painters. After early studies in Bilbao, he subsequently continued his training in Barcelona, Paris and Milan. In 1908 he returned to his birthplace, and taught figure drawing at the School of Arts and Crafts. He was one of the founders of the weekly ''
El Coitao'', and the
Association of Basque Artists.
Arrue's love of
bullfighting
Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
led to his debut in the bullring on October 17, 1909, in Bilbao. According to several authorities, Arrue proved to be a capable matador.
[Rueda Pardo, S]
José Arrúe Y Valle
Euskomedia
Arrue's painting won several awards during his lifetime. He also designed bullfighting posters, did advertising work, and published cartoons in newspapers such as ''
El Sol'' and ''
El Liberal
''El Liberal'' was a Spanish liberal newspaper published in Madrid between 1879 and 1936. It was one of the leading papers of Spain under the Restoration.
Between 1890 and 1906, ''El Liberal'' was edited by Miguel Moya (1856–1920), a leading Sp ...
'', and the
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
newspaper ''
La Razón''; an exhibition of his paintings was staged in Buenos Aires in 1928, later travelling to
Montevideo
Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
,
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
.
During the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
, Arrue drew comics describing events from the perspective of the
Basque Government.
[Rodriguez, R]
El cómic de historia en el País Vasco
Euskonews After the collapse of the
Republican Army of the North, and the
fall of Santander on September 1, 1937, Arrue was arrested in the city. He was held in
Nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
captivity for two years, during which time he was moved to
Orduña prison. He was eventually released in 1940 and went to live in Llodio with his family. Although in semi-retirement from public life, he participated in a number of further exhibitions: a retrospective of his work was held in 1973, and a further one, featuring the work of all of the Arrue brothers, was held in Bilbao in 1977.
Arrue's work is noted for its concrete realism, clear lines and composition, and its focus on Basque subjects, particularly the landscape of the Basque country, its religious festivals,
romerias and social rituals, and the lives of its peasantry.
References
Sources
José Arrue, Euskomedia
Bibliography
* ''El Coitao, mal llamao'', Javier González de Durana (Bilbao, 1995)
1885 births
1977 deaths
Basque painters
20th-century Spanish painters
20th-century Spanish male artists
Spanish male painters
Spanish bullfighters
People from Bilbao
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