Some of the most canonical figures in 20th century art were the Spanish avant-gardes. Groundbreaking, outstanding, and highly lauded, Modern Art owes a great deal to artists such as Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso.
The pioneering work of these three artists continues to be instrumental in the development of art today. Inimitable, these artists broke the mould. Picasso, amongst countless other triumphs, co-founded Cubism; Dalí became the epitome of the Surrealist movement, and Miró helped to define a new rejection of conventional painting, by colliding Surrealist tendencies with Fauvist and Expressionist styles.
These artists had a geographical advantage when developing their practices, owing to Spain’s position in Europe. The Spanish creatives often travelled abroad to learn new techniques. Dalí and Miró for example, spent a lot of time working in France, developing their work alongside other notable Surrealists. Geographical fortune cannot account wholly for their immense success of course; individually, each artist was exceptional with insatiable curiosity and a tireless drive to innovate.
We are delighted to be bringing some of the finest examples of these artists’ works to our Bath gallery this summer. Our collection offers a Spanish getaway like no other, right on your doorstep!
Any questions? We are happy to help. Call: 01225 251005 or send us a message now.
Pablo Picasso – La Casserole Emailee
Robert Rey was a prominent History of Art professor at the notorious École Nationale supérieure des Beaux Arts in France. In 1950, Rey created the esteemed ‘Estampes’ portfolio, comprising of essays and wood engravings by twelve leading artists. Of course, Picasso was amongst the selection.
Picasso contributed ‘La Casserole Emaillee’ to the project. This woodblock print is a reproduction of his 1945 painting ‘Jug, Candle and Enamelled Pan’. Undoubtedly, the recent World Wars and resulting political climate infiltrated and haunted Picasso’s work. A simple still life becomes reminiscent of a memento mori, as his composition is imbued with a gloomy contemplation.
This piece is both an essential work by Picasso, with a composition influenced by Cubist thinking, and a significant piece of art history. This print is of the low edition size of 150, is signed by the artist and countersigned by Robert Rey.
Joan Miró – Album 19: Plate IX
Miró’s ‘Album 19’ is one of the artist’s most acclaimed portfolios. Throughout his seven-decade career, printmaking formed an essential part of the artist’s practice and he quickly became regarded as one of the 20th century’s most significant printmakers. Creating highly graphic and dream-like compositions, Miró’s prolific printing output notably informed his paintings, and vice versa.
A practitioner of ‘automatism’, a surrealist concept in which the artist creates without intervention from the conscious mind, the artist developed his own sophisticated language of calligraphic lines and amoebic forms.
Playful and improvisational, ‘Album 19’ offers an extraordinary example of some of Miró’s most beloved work. The artist mastered an intensely methodical practice whilst embracing and even encouraging ‘accident’. From the incredibly small edition size of 75, ‘Plate IX’ is a particularly exceptional composition from a venerable portfolio.
Salvador Dalí – Complete Aurélia Portfolio
Dalí requires little introduction. The artist’s legendary Surrealist practice encompassed his whole existence, spilling into every aspect of his life. Perhaps the best example of this fact is how he was buried in a crypt in his dedicated ‘Dalí Theatre and Museum’, in his hometown of Figueres in Spain.
Dalí’s ‘Aurélia’ portfolio was inspired by the novella of the same name, penned by the 19th century author Gerard de Nerval. The combination of both creatives is a match made in heaven; Nerval was similarly consumed by his art and was rumoured to have walked around Paris with a pet lobster on a silk lead. Both creatives dwelled on the ‘spirit world’, rejecting material reality and aspiring to break down the barriers between dreams and waking life.
We are thrilled to offer the complete ‘Aurélia’ portfolio from the rare, deluxe edition of 100. Hand-coloured, this portfolio is complete with exceptionally strong compositions; from the artist’s iconic melting clocks in ‘Memorabilia’, to his surreal portraiture in ‘Visage Surrealiste’, this portfolio offers an unbeatable selection of artworks at an extraordinary value.
