Antoni Saura

Biographical Sketch

Antoni Saura was born on Sep. 22, 1930 in Huesca. He is considered the main representative of Spanish Tachisme and, after his early Surrealist works, relentlessly worked on the fusion of lines and gesture with painterly space. Also well-known are his essays as an art critic, his commitment to culture, his poetry and his resistence during the Franco era. During the Spanish Civil War, he lived with his family in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. He became seriously ill with tuberculosis in 1943, and, self-taught, began to paint and write during his convalescence. First one-man exhibit: 1950. Lived in Paris (1953-55) and later in Madrid and Cuenca. Founded the group El Paso (1957). He began his large-format, expressive works in 1953. These contain a subtle and rich scale of color hues and light-dark scale from black to white. Works on paper (1960-70). Received award from Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Carnegie Prize. His studio was destroyed several times, along with a part of his work. Although his approach to the painting's space remained abstract, Saura did allow an evocative human figure to appear in his works. Saura's extensive portait series have become famous: the Retratos imaginarios (Imaginary Portraits), Las Infantas (The Princesses), the paintings after Goya and his Crucifixiones. Since the 60's, his paintings are calmly reflected in his prints. Along with many other honors, he received the first prize of the graphics Biennale in Heidelberg in 1979. His works are present around the world in collections and museums. ek

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References:

Gérard de Cortanze. Antonio Saura. Ed. De la Différence 1994

Collection dirigée par Joaquim Vital; Antonio Saura. Museo d'Arte Moderna, Lugano, edited by Rudy Chiappini, Ed. Electa 1994;

Catalogues:

Catalogue raisonné, published by Le Cabinet des Estampes de Genève, 1985.

Bibliography:

Gauthier 1974;

Pellicer 1980;

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Note:

The references given are not meant as a list of the best works available on the subject, but simply reflect the author's sources.

Registers and catalogues of works are included when known and correspond to the information given in the index.