Bilbao and Erik Satie
Students on Spanish courses here in Bilbao often ask us about the art of the Basque Country as they see that the streets are filled with many sculptures and of course the Guggenheim Museum is a leading attraction in the reasons to visit the city.
However, under scaffolding right now, the renovation of the Museum of Fine Arts is underway. Many visitors think it is closed but the reality is not so.
Some time ago, there was an exhibition of Ignacio Zuloaga, a Basque artist whose brushwork was masterful and who painted important figures of his time.
Now, the Museum of Fine Arts has acquired a painting that has a unique history:
It is a portrait of the famous French composer Erik Satie. He painted it when he was only 23 years old and gave it to the musician as a token of friendship, because during the years he spent in France, he was able to get to know him and establish a close relationship with him.
The years went by, the paintings were hung on the walls and one day they ceased to be eye-catching and simply became part of the wall. Zuloaga grew up, became a renowned painter and now the paintings that had a friendly intention of wanting to last in time with their recipient, ended up in private collections.
Fortunately, the Bellas Artes of Bilbao was able to acquire this piece for the enjoyment of the people of Biscay who can see the work free of charge since now with the renovations the museum is not charging a general admission fee.
The students complement their Spanish courses in Bilbao with these cultural visits to the city's little gems. We must remember that through cultural immersion one can learn in a deeper way the language and its reasons for being or expression.
That is why we encourage students of Spanish to come to our Spanish language school which has more than 25 years of experience and is an Instituto Cervantes Accredited Centre here in Bilbao.
See you in the art rooms!