Spanish school, ca. 1850. "Portrait of a lady with a fan. Oil on canvas. Signed A. M. Esquivel on the table. Measurements: 102 x 82 cm; 114,5 x 94 cm (frame). We are in front of a portrait of a lady of the XIX century, represented in three quarters and in a relaxed position, seated and looking at the spectator. The woman, with details that make it clear that she is a lady of the high society of the time, is dressed in a distinguished dress and rich jewellery. She also holds a handkerchief in her left hand and a fan in her right. The background is resolved by a subtle curtain on the left-hand side, while on the right a vase of flowers can be seen. Portraiture became the leading genre of painting in Europe in the 19th century as a result of the new social structures that were established in the Western world during that century, embodying the ultimate expression of the transformation in the taste and mentality of the new clientele that emerged among the nobility and the wealthy gentry, who were to take the reins of history in this period. While official circles gave precedence to other artistic genres, such as history painting, and the incipient collectors encouraged the profusion of genre paintings, portraiture was in great demand for paintings intended for the more private sphere, as a reflection of the value of the individual in the new society. This genre embodies the permanent presence of the image of its protagonists, to be enjoyed in the privacy of a studio, in the everyday warmth of a family cabinet or presiding over the main rooms of the house. Dimensions 102 x 82 cm; 114.5 x 94 cm (frame).