1 / 7

Description

MANOLO VALDÉS (Valencia, 1942). "Eva III", 1993. Etching and collage on paper. Copy 4/51. Signed and justified in pencil at the bottom. Measurements: 165 x 65,5 cm., 183 x 84 cm. (frame). In this engraving intervened by the artist, the figure of Eva is shown, inspired by the painting of the same title, made in 1507 by Durero, which belongs to the Collection of the Prado Museum. Valdés rescues this figure from the Old Testament, bringing her body to contemporaneity, reducing it to an aesthetic language of synthetic and schematic forms, which preserve the devotional and iconographic expression of the religious figure, who maintains her nimbus of sanctity and her modest posture. Valdés dispenses with the iconic apple and instead introduces the image of a flower, which he places over the sex of the protagonist. This reference also alludes to the work of Dürer, who made numerous drawings inspired by flora and fauna, but the image of the flower also adds a conceptual and metaphorical reading to the piece, which in a veiled way conveys the idea of birth. Manolo Valdés introduced in Spain a form of artistic expression that combines political and social commitment with humor and irony. He began his training in 1957, when he entered the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in Valencia. However, two years later he abandoned his studies to devote himself fully to painting. In 1964 he founded the artistic group Equipo Crónica, together with Juan Antonio Toledo and Rafael Solbes, in which he remained until the latter's death in 1981, despite the fact that Toledo had left the group two years after its foundation. Since then he has settled in New York, where he currently resides and where he has continued to experiment with new forms of expression, including sculpture. Among the numerous awards Manolo Valdés has received are the Lissone and Biella of Milan (1965), the silver medal of the II International Biennial of Engravings of Tokyo (1979), the prize of the Bridgestone Art Museum in Lisbon (1979), the National Prize of Plastic Arts (1983), the medal of the International Festival of Plastic Artists of Baghdad (1986), the Decoration of the Order of Andres Bello in Venezuela (1993), the award of the National Council of Monaco (1997), the Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts (1998), the Award of the Spanish Association of Art Critics (2000) and the Best Print Artist Award (2002), among others. With Equipo Crónica, Valdés used figuration as a vehicle of expression for his approaches, for his criticisms of art, society and politics, but prioritizing above any other content the pure act of painting. From the thematic point of view, Valdés is inspired by the art of the great masters of painting: Goya, Velázquez, El Greco, Ribera or Zurbarán, and he never hides his models, but rather emphasizes them, even in the titles of his works. Formally, he creates a large format work in which lights and colors express tactile values, due to the treatment given to the materials. His work forces the viewer to delve into memory and search for significant images from the history of art. Valdés is represented in some of the most outstanding museums around the world, such as the Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Metropolitan, the MoMA and the Guggenheim in New York, the Georges Pompidou Center and the Fons National d'Arts Plastiques in Paris, the Kusnthalle in Hamburg, the Kunstmuseum in Berlin and the Museo de Bellas Artes in Bilbao, among many others.

Go to lot
<
>

MANOLO VALDÉS (Valencia, 1942). "Eva III", 1993. Etching and collage on paper. Copy 4/51. Signed and justified in pencil at the bottom. Measurements: 165 x 65,5 cm., 183 x 84 cm. (frame). In this engraving intervened by the artist, the figure of Eva is shown, inspired by the painting of the same title, made in 1507 by Durero, which belongs to the Collection of the Prado Museum. Valdés rescues this figure from the Old Testament, bringing her body to contemporaneity, reducing it to an aesthetic language of synthetic and schematic forms, which preserve the devotional and iconographic expression of the religious figure, who maintains her nimbus of sanctity and her modest posture. Valdés dispenses with the iconic apple and instead introduces the image of a flower, which he places over the sex of the protagonist. This reference also alludes to the work of Dürer, who made numerous drawings inspired by flora and fauna, but the image of the flower also adds a conceptual and metaphorical reading to the piece, which in a veiled way conveys the idea of birth. Manolo Valdés introduced in Spain a form of artistic expression that combines political and social commitment with humor and irony. He began his training in 1957, when he entered the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in Valencia. However, two years later he abandoned his studies to devote himself fully to painting. In 1964 he founded the artistic group Equipo Crónica, together with Juan Antonio Toledo and Rafael Solbes, in which he remained until the latter's death in 1981, despite the fact that Toledo had left the group two years after its foundation. Since then he has settled in New York, where he currently resides and where he has continued to experiment with new forms of expression, including sculpture. Among the numerous awards Manolo Valdés has received are the Lissone and Biella of Milan (1965), the silver medal of the II International Biennial of Engravings of Tokyo (1979), the prize of the Bridgestone Art Museum in Lisbon (1979), the National Prize of Plastic Arts (1983), the medal of the International Festival of Plastic Artists of Baghdad (1986), the Decoration of the Order of Andres Bello in Venezuela (1993), the award of the National Council of Monaco (1997), the Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts (1998), the Award of the Spanish Association of Art Critics (2000) and the Best Print Artist Award (2002), among others. With Equipo Crónica, Valdés used figuration as a vehicle of expression for his approaches, for his criticisms of art, society and politics, but prioritizing above any other content the pure act of painting. From the thematic point of view, Valdés is inspired by the art of the great masters of painting: Goya, Velázquez, El Greco, Ribera or Zurbarán, and he never hides his models, but rather emphasizes them, even in the titles of his works. Formally, he creates a large format work in which lights and colors express tactile values, due to the treatment given to the materials. His work forces the viewer to delve into memory and search for significant images from the history of art. Valdés is represented in some of the most outstanding museums around the world, such as the Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Metropolitan, the MoMA and the Guggenheim in New York, the Georges Pompidou Center and the Fons National d'Arts Plastiques in Paris, the Kusnthalle in Hamburg, the Kunstmuseum in Berlin and the Museo de Bellas Artes in Bilbao, among many others.

Estimate 10 000 - 12 000 EUR
Starting price 6 000 EUR

* Not including buyer’s premium.
Please read the conditions of sale for more information.

Sale fees: 24 %
Leave bid
Register

For sale on Wednesday 10 Jul : 15:30 (CEST)
wwwsetdartcom, pays.null
Setdart.com
+34932463241
Browse the catalogue Sales terms Sale info

Delivery to
Change delivery address
Delivery is not mandatory.
You may use the carrier of your choice.
The indicated price does not include the price of the lot or the auction house's fees.

You may also like

MANOLO VALDÉS, (Valencia, 1942). "Lady of Elche". Glazed ceramic with wooden base. Measurements: 22,50 x 18,50 x 21 cm, 26,50 x 18,50 x 21 cm (with base). Manolo Valdés was born in Valencia on March 8, 1942. In 1957 he enrolled in the School of Fine Arts of San Carlos where he spent two years, abandoning his studies to devote himself to painting. In 1964 he founded the artistic group Equipo Crónica together with Juan Antonio Toledo and Rafael Solbes, in which he remained until Solbes' death in 1981, even though two years after the group was founded, Toledo had left it. After the death of Rafael Solbes he continued working alone in Valencia for a few years, until 1989, when he traveled to New York where he set up his studio and continued experimenting with new forms of expression. He belongs to the Marlborough Gallery and the Freites Gallery. He also set up a studio in Madrid for the realization of large sculptures, alternating his work in both cities. Influenced by Velázquez, Rembrandt, Rubens and Matisse, Manolo Valdés creates a large format work in which lights and colors express a feeling of tactility by the treatment given to the materials. His work forces the viewer to delve into memory and search for significant images from the history of art. In addition to the works exhibited as part of Equipo Crónica, Valdés had more than 70 solo and group exhibitions between 1965 and 1981. As a sculptor, he is the author of La Dama del Manzanares (2003), a 13-meter high work located in the Parque Lineal del Manzanares (Madrid). In 2005 he created the sculptural group Asturcones, for the city of Oviedo. Valdés has received several awards, among which stand out: in 1965 the Lissone and Biella prizes, in Milan (Italy), in 1979, the Silver Medal of the II International Biennial of Engravings in Tokyo (Japan) and the Bridgestone Art Museum Prize in Lis'79 in Lisbon (Portugal); in 1983 the National Prize of Plastic Arts; the Alfons Roig Award, in Valencia; the National Prize of Fine Arts of Spain; in 1986 the Medal of the Biennial of the International Festival of Plastic Artists, in Baghdad (Iraq) and in 1993 the Decoration of the Order of Andres Bello in the class of Band of Honor, in Venezuela. In 2012 he was in charge of designing the poster for the bullfighting season at the Real Maestranza de Caballería in Seville.