The lesser known but gifted Enrique Atalaya was a Spanish painter born in Madrid in 1869. He pursued an academic career, producing paintings that were very accomplished traditional genre scenes.

In 1880, Atalaya moved to Paris and at the 1889 Expostion Universelle (World’s Fair), he exhibited drawings illustrating the novel Don Quixote. He exceled at small format works, often done on his own “carte de visite,” and eventually became a member of the Société des peintres enlumineurs et miniaturis.

Angelo Mariani was a French chemist and entrepreneur from the isle of Corsica who in 1863 invented a drink called Vin Mariani, a cocoa leaf infused wine, which he patented as a medicine. Vin Mariani became the precursor to modern day Coca-Cola.

Mariani and Atalaya’s paths crossed in Paris in 1895 when the entrepreneur hired the painter to illustrate a unique personal copy of the book Le secret des bestes by Frédéric Mistral. Each of the 52 pages was illuminated with inlays of semi-precious stones and gold applied in relief. Atalaya completed several other illustration projects for the wealthy entrepreneur which brought him great public recognition, particularly for his work as a miniaturist.

Our watercolors, all done in Paris in 1904 -1905, are each no more than 3 x 5 inches and are each signed, inscribed, located and dedicated by the artist to his great friend and patron. Together they provide a bird’s eye view of the beautiful city of Paris at the beginning of the 20th century.