Provenance:
Private Collection, Spain
Galeria Mayoral

Literature: Chua, Paolo. "Mayoral Gallery Spotlights Fernando Zóbel and Post-War Art at Art Fair Philippines 2021." Esquire Magazine Philippines. May 14, 2021 EXHIBITED Galeria Mayoral (Barcelona), Art Fair Philippines 2021 (Digital Exhibition), May 6 - 15, 2021

ABOUT THE WORK

Fernando Zóbel’s paintings are synonymous with orderly and serene. In the words of Antonio Magaz-Sangro, Zóbel makes modifications to the nature of the surface of the canvas, “transfiguring it through the orientation and uneven distribution of strokes on a field of violent tensions, strokes on which he bestows an intense dynamic suggestiveness.” His brushstrokes cut across the surface of the canvas, bringing a third, virtual dimension to it and seemingly breathing it into life. The gesture, the brushstrokes, and how the colors are painted throughout the surface of the canvas were the subjects and highlights of Zóbel’s works. As stated by Rod. Paras-Perez in his book Fernando Zóbel, abstractexpressionists like Zóbel depict the “process or essence of things rather than their outward appearance.” It is in the intrinsic nature of Zóbel’s subjects where we can find the deepest appreciation for his artistry. Without a deeper appreciation and understanding of what abstract expressionism is, we might say that Zóbel’s work is one-dimensional, possibly even monotonous. Despite this, his works are not homogenous and do not give in to superficial and shallow representation. Art critic Leonidas Benesa once wrote: “What the artist presents for contemplation is the result of an inner experience, be the subject the landscape in nature, or in a painting.” This piece by Zóbel demonstrates his minimalist orientation with an ascetic elegance. Purita Kalaw Ledesma told Cid Reyes in 1973: “The delicacy of style, the balance of the restraint, and the things unsaid… these things I find in Zóbel’s art, and it moves me.”