A Life Etched in Spanish Realism Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabala, born in the Basque town of Eibar in 1870, stands as a pivotal figure in late 19th and early 20th-century Spanish painting. His artistic journey wasn’t predestined; rather, it blossomed from an unexpected spark ignited during a trip to Rome with his father. Coming from a family deeply rooted in craftsmanship – his grandfather was the royal armourer, and his father a skilled damascener – Zuloaga initially seemed destined for a more conventional path. However, the allure of artistic expression proved irresistible, leading him at eightee…