On December 10, Setdart will auction a total of nine superbly crafted sculptures by José Cubero Gabardón (Málaga, 1818-1877), a careful selection of unique pieces that highlight the artist’s interest in the world of bullfighting and Andalusian folklore.

Belonging to the Cubero Gabardón lineage, a family that ran a prestigious clay sculpture workshop in Malaga with which they reproduced the Andalusian folkloric world, José Cubero Gabardón enjoyed great success during the 19th century. His famous figures were very famous among English tourists of the time, who acquired them as artistic souvenir objects.

During several decades they created thousands of clay of popular types (beggars, bandits, traffickers, guitarists or majos on horseback), as well as scenes related to the world of bullfighting. The latter, which stood out for the descriptive precision of the clothing and the quality of their figures, reflected the artistic romanticism of the city that so attracted foreign travelers.

The impeccable technique of these clay, masterfully worked and polychrome, led José Cubero Gabardón to receive the praise of many writers and travelers for the quality of his baked and polychrome clay pieces. In fact, in 1851, his sculptures obtained an important artistic recognition at the Universal Exhibition in London.

The history of the Cubero Gabardón family began in 1838, when they founded the family business in Pasaje de Heredia, the busiest commercial area in the Malaga capital. Since then, the success of his productions has transcended throughout history, becoming a clear testimony of nineteenth-century Andalusian society.