Valentín and Ramón de Zubiaurre were artists originally came from Garai, in the Duranguesado region. After the research carried out by the Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts and the Basque Museum in Bilbao into the family’s audiovisual archive, we know that, in addition to their extensive pictorial work, the Zubiaurre brothers were also interested in the emerging visual technologies of the early 20th century, such as cinema and photography.

In this edition of Getxophoto, we present a set of images presumably taken from 1898 onwards, when Valentín was 19 and Ramón only 16, a period that coincided with the development of an incipient photographic language and with the appearance of amateur photography in the upper classes. In addition to the individual and group portraits taken during vacations at the family home in Garai, the brothers created a form of images they call photographic whims or fantasies: satires, collages or tableaux vivants (living pictures) that recreate popular paintings such as The Slave (1904) by Gonzalo Bilbao or Pollice Verso (1872) by Jean-Léon Gérôme. Often taken in collaboration with friends, these photographs are experimental compositions full of humour, which play with the expressive possibilities of the new medium. 

Originally from the Basque town of Garai, Valentín (1879–1963) and Ramón (1882–1969) were born in Madrid due to their father’s relocation to the city to serve as a musical master at the Royal Palace. Both were deaf-mute painters who had successful artistic careers, exhibiting their work in Madrid as well as in the Basque Country. The Zubiaurre brothers are primarily recognized for their work as painters; however, photography and cinema were also essential disciplines in their careers. In their photographs, we find influence from Spanish academic painting, which they used as a source of inspiration.

Hermanos Zubiaurre (Garai, Valentín: 1879–1963 / Ramón: 1882–1969)
Fantasías fotográficas

2024 Edition
Outdoor installations
Venues: Urgull Street, Metro Algorta, Zabala School and Daduena House
Collaborators: Bilbao Museoa – Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, Metro Bilbao, Daduena Etxea