Woman in Andalusian Dress 1911 - 1913

Ignacio Zuloaga painted ‘Woman in Andalusian Dress’ with oil on canvas. Zuloaga, who was working in the late 19th and early 20th century, often chose Spanish subjects, drawing inspiration from the cultural history of Spain. This portrait captures a woman adorned in traditional Andalusian attire, with her hands confidently placed on her hips. The attire serves as a powerful marker of cultural identity. The artist seems to want to capture an authentic representation of Spanish identity, yet the woman’s gaze conveys both pride and vulnerability. Zuloaga’s work taps into the complex interplay between tradition, identity, and representation, and invites us to reflect on how cultural symbols can be both celebrated and critiqued. It is a reminder that identity is not a fixed construct but rather a fluid negotiation between self-perception and cultural expectations.