“Couple dans un compartiment de train” by Ricardo Lopez-Cabrera 1895
what where when why
This painting captures the spirit of the time—that is, the arrival of the 20th-century among European gentry. These two enjoy one another’s company while the paysage rushes past. I love the body language between them, how the lady is keenly interested in whatever it is the gentleman is saying, while trying not to appear too interested. The gentleman, for his part, is unconvincingly nonchalant in his regale. Fantastic.
About the painter… Ricardo López Cabrera was born in Cantillana (Seville) on September 24, 1864. Under the protection of Francisco Palazuelos he moved to the Andalusian capital to study at the School of Fine Arts under the master Eduardo Cano de la Peña (1823–1897). Trained at the School of Fine Arts of Santa Isabel de Hungría in Seville, he was a disciple of Eduardo Cano. In 1887 he moved to Rome to continue his studies. On his return to Spain he took part in the National Exhibitions of Fine Arts in 1892 and 1895, being awarded a third-class medal on both occasions. At the international level he took part with four canvases in the Universal Exhibition in Chicago in 1893. In 1906 he was appointed a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. In 1909 he travelled to Buenos Aires, where he returned in 1911. He settled there until 1923, where he combined painting with teaching and developed an intense exhibition activity.
how
I obtained a moderately high-resolution scan of the original from Les Musées de Paris who have recently begun open-sourcing the works of all the Paris galleries and museums, with generous re-printing, restoration and re-selling rights. Administration wants us to enjoy these fine paintings, whether we visit Paris or not. The only issue is, the older paintings have some issues: cracks and scratches, and while the resolution and detail are okay, we (me) can do better. After removing most of the scratches, particularly around the people in the frame, I apply machine-learning to the image, enlarging it to half a billion pixels, and in the process restore formerly lost detail. Scroll down to see what I mean. The results are… magnifique.
| Format | Medium |
| Medium | photographic paper |
| Size | 16"
width
20" height |
| Resolution | 1,257 dpi
506 megapixels |
| Limited-edition prints remaining | 18 of 25 total |
| Shipping | Ships anywhere in the world |
| Price | CAD $44 each |
| Format | Large |
| Medium | white aluminum |
| Size | 44"
width
56" height |
| Resolution | 457 dpi
506 megapixels |
| Limited-edition prints remaining | 13 of 25 total |
| Shipping | Delivery anywhere in greater Calgary area |
| Price | CAD $2,222 each |
Let’s zoom in
