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Address:
Ortiz Echagüe Collection - Foundation University of Navarra, Central Building, University of Navarra, 31080 PAMPLONA
Contact:
Fernando De La Puente García-Ganges, Director
adomeno@unav.es
fpuente@unav.es
Phone: +34948 42 56 00
Fax: +34948 42 56 19
Links:
Colección-Legado Ortiz Echagüe
University of Navarra
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Description:
Jose Ortiz Echague is considered the most important Spanish photographer of the first half of the 20th century. He traveled across Spain and parts of North Africa, (Spanish protectorate during the first years of the century), with his camera. In his images he captured the traditions of the native people, their traditional costumes, landscapes, fortresses and devotions. He took these pictures with the purest 98's style. His photographs were in numerous international expositions, including "Specular Spain" at the Metropolitan Museum of New York in 1960.
His photographic project was divided into six broad themes:
“North Africa”: composed by images made during the turn of the century military campaigns within the Spanish protectorate in Morocco and pictures taken in the 60's. Its contents show portraits, everyday images and some landscapes.
“Characters and Costumes”: centered within Spanish territory, it is an exhaustive study of popular customs and costumes, usually presented in the form of portraits. In 1929 he compiled these works into the German publication of a book titled "Spanische Kopfe", which was the commencement of an editorial activity, which was later, enhanced by another 5 titles.
“Villages and Landscapes”: a tour of Spanish geography, which, with magical and dramatic hues, culls the most outstanding aspects of the diversity of landscapes and architecture. It includes the uneven, rough and leafy landscape of the north, the crowded whitewashing façade houses of the villages of the south, the rough lands of the central regions and the main urban enclaves.
“Mystic Spain”: it is centered on the cloistered religious communities and popular manifestations of religious cult, offering a sample of every different Spanish spirituality aspect. It combines photojournalism and studio staging including pictorial references (Zurbarán, El Greco).
“Castles” : as with the landscape theme, the photographer tours the fortresses along the Spanish peninsula, showing special interest in medieval castles and composing with them strong pictures which main elements are the ruins.
“Family Portraits”: it is work extracted from his personal environment in which portraits and intimate reporting, with a pictorials atmosphere and symbolic contents, predominate.
(from http://www.unav.es/oechague/st_work.htm)
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