Oil on panel Signed and dated 1883 , lower left 60 x 37cm (23 5/8 x 14 1/2in) Provenance: Purchased circa 1930 ; Thence by descent to the present owner José Gallegos spent most of his life in Italy and was a leading figure of the Spanish School in Rome, along with Mariano Fortuny y Carbo (1838-1874), José Villegas y Cordero (1848-1922) and Salvador Sanchez Barbudo (1857-1917). Cathedral interiors, choir scenes and religious festivals were among his favourite subjects, as well as outdoor market scenes. Painted in 1883, Feeding the pigeons is an early work, clearly showing the artist s assimilation of the principles of Impressionism, with a skilled emphasis on colour and light. It is a beautiful day with bright light; flowers are in bloom, pigeons flutter in the yard fed by two young women in traditional costume. Gallegos has perfectly captured every detail of the figures and courtyard where they stand by his superb technique.