Fortuny in 1854, during the cholera epidemic, he went to Reus to be near his father and sisters. In this composition set inside a stable, the Doctor wears a coat, hat and cane, with sideburns and goggles, two characters carry a stretcher with a patient.

Genuinely realistic representation, the painter follows the romantic guidelines learned in Llotja, emphasizing the expressiveness of the characters and the gestural and theatrical movement that convey feelings.

This painting is from his first period, as an apprentice when he studied at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona with the painter Claudio Lorenzale, and before he was awarded to go study in Rome; at that time, there was still no thought of going to study in Paris.

There is a sketch of this work that is preserved in the Reus Museum.

Year Reus, 1854

Oil on canvas

40,5x49,5 cm

Marià Fortuny i Marsal, 1838 - 1874