Provenance: Provenance: Private Collection, Madrid

ABOUT THE WORK

Often described as a transnational master artist, Fernando Zobel had the aptitude for achieving a sense of order and simplicity in his compositions, contributing immensely to Philippine abstraction. Zobel’s signature artistic order is linked by art critics to the influence of their family enterprise, specifically architecture, to his styles and techniques. It is also noted that he found his motif in the expanses of land and sky—even from the scaffolding lines to silhouettes—he encountered upon travel. Zobel established the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español in 1966, situated at the Casas Colgadas, Cuenca in central Spain. During the seventies, he caught the spirit of the Spanish modern art movement that was getting international renown. Painting was regarded by Zobel as a distillation, “paring down” or a process of removing distractions, evident in his soughtafter Serie Blanca series, setting him apart from his contemporaries. For instance, he painted landscapes by focusing on its sense of form and underlying structure through abstraction. This resulted in subdued, “whispering” contemplative masterpieces composed of his masterful rendering of lines, gestures, movements, tensions, and pigment. Cuenca also became his muse, often painting its surrounding rivers and landscapes in his later years. In La Fuente (Seville), subtle and elegant space sectioning is readily recognized, evoking distinct visual ethereality and stillness. This piece is also suggestive of Zobel’s memories in Spain and its charming, serene skies and landscapes upon deciding to stay in the country. Retrospective traveling exhibits in honor of Zobel were held in Cuenca and Seville in 2003.