Spanish culture. This month I have decided to have a second painting of the month from the rich base of Spanish art. We have been touring some of the Northern regions of Spain. Having left Catalunya far behind we are now in the Basque Country. Ramiro Arrue’s Yo ou le Fandango is a Basque gem.

It reminds me of the wonderful retrospective we saw in Biarritz two years ago and this lovely traditional scene. Ramiro Arrue was born in Bilbao in 1892 and after a brief career in Paris retired to the area settling in St Jean de Luz in France. His characteristic style evokes a time long ago of simple rural pleasures. Alas most Spanish live in big cities now and the countryside is nearly deserted. The people are still wonderful though and the welcome has been as good as ever.