Antonio Blanco

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There are some very light fox marks on the surface of the work, as well as some possible discoloration to the paper, but this is consistent with the age of the work. Framed, under Plexiglas.
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Of Spanish descent and born in the Philippines, Antonio Blanco chose to settle down in Ubud, Bali in 1952 to realise his dreams in life and work. He married a traditional Balinese dancer in 1953 and built a house and museum where he worked and showed his paintings.

Colours and impressions take center stage in Blanco’s paintings. Deliberately blurring or omitting parts of the picture accentuates the highly suggestive power of Blanco’s erotic nudes. The use of forceful strokes in conjunction with lighter touches further adds a certain rawness and emotive depth to his pictures. The present piece Exotic Nude with Gong perfectly exemplifies Blanco's style of painting.

The depiction of a Balinese nude in the present lot exemplifies the artist’s talent in capturing the sensuality of a beautiful woman. Painted in a provocative pose with her arms folded above her head, the nude seems to be portrayed in an ecstatic state.

Blanco described the scene in quick fluid lines and shading, while using colours as a metaphorical rather than descriptive tool- indicating passion and eroticism with dashes of red. Smears of bright white paints are applied to create a dense atmosphere and to highlight the nude’s voluptuous curves.

Blanco leaves an unforgettable impression of the sensuous feminine nude in this present painting.