José Ortega Espagnol, 1877-1955

Spanish painter and portraitist with Orientalist influence

José Ortega was born in 1877, likely in Orihuela, Spain. He began his artistic training in 1899 at the École des Beaux-Arts in Algiers, where he studied under Hippolyte Dubois. He then continued his studies in Paris with Gabriel Ferrier at the École des Beaux-Arts, and around 1905 refined his skills as an engraver at the Antoine-Druet Academy.

Ortega’s work focuses on portraiture, genre scenes, and Orientalist landscapes, drawing inspiration from his travels in North Africa. His paintings often depict caravans, oases, and desert scenes, rendered with atmospheric realism and a keen sense of light. He frequently signed his works “J Ortega.”

He exhibited in various salons and galleries, and his art was admired for its technical precision and poetic vision of the Orient. José Ortega passed away in 1955, leaving behind a rich and coherent body of work firmly rooted in the Orientalist tradition of the early 20th century.