• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Modernismo: Spanish Artists of the 20th Century

Online Auction: 4–14 April 2022 • 12:00 PM EDT • New York

Several works this sale date from Cuixart’s Pink Period, which began in 1964 and is marked by his definitive abandonment of informalism, serving as a transitory period ahead of his fully figurative work. Canvases from Cuixart’s Pink Period utilize two different modes of production and representation. He utilizes grattage, a technique that involves preparing the canvas with a thick layer of oil paint, laying it over a textured object, and then scraping off some paint. This achieves an unexpected and interesting paint surface and is closely associated with surrealist painting, most notably that of Max Ernst. Grattage is juxtaposed with areas featuring thin layers of paint. These parts of the canvas feature letters, numbers, and signs alluding to mathematical, philosophical, and sometimes esoteric themes. Many of the works revolve around organic forms, interestingly recalling the anatomical drawings Cuixart made during his time as a medical school student.

Works from this period were widely exhibited at the Bonino Gallery in New York, the René Metras Gallery in Barcelona, and in the "Art of Organic Forms" exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.

Sotheby's thanks Dr. Raquel Medina and the Fundació Cuixart for their assistance and research.