37 - JOSÉ RUESGA SALAZAR (Utrera, 1918–2012)

JOSÉ RUESGA SALAZAR (Utrera, 1918–2012) "Grape Harvesters." Oil on canvas. Measurements: 193 x 134 cm; 195 x 136 cm (frame). The painting shows some imperfections and cracking. José Ruesga Salazar was a prominent Spanish painter, a magnificent draftsman, watercolorist, and portraitist born in Utrera, Seville. Throughout his career, he balanced his prolific, classically-oriented artistic practice with teaching, serving as a high school teacher after passing a competitive exam in towns such as Osuna, San Sebastián, and Seville. He initially trained at the Santa Isabel de Hungría School of Fine Arts in Seville and later expanded his knowledge of murals and prints at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid. In 1935, he won the Special Prize at the Painting Exhibition of the Rico Cejudo Chair, which gave his career a boost. In 1940, he held his first solo exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Círculo Mercantil in Seville. His work ranges from traditional portraiture and Andalusian genre scenes to classical-style compositions that evolved toward remarkable maturity in the 1970s. He mastered various techniques, including oil painting, watercolor, drawing, and printmaking (including woodcuts and iconic tiles).