# Alberto Gironella artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/alberto-gironella/
Profile generated: 2026-05-18T19:53:19.910Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1929-09-26
- Death date: 1999-08-03
- Nationality: Mexican
- Movements: Mexican modern painting
- Common media: Oil on canvas, Mixed media

## About Alberto Gironella

Alberto Gironella (1929–1999) was a self-taught Mexican painter born in Mexico City whose work drew deeply from the political and artistic currents of twentieth-century Mexico. Active from the 1950s onward, he exhibited widely across Latin America, Europe, the United States, and Japan. In 1960 he received major international recognition, winning first prize at both the Paris Biennial for Young Painters and the Sixth Biennial of São Paulo. His paintings are held in leading Mexican institutions including the Palace of Fine Arts, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Rufino Tamayo Museum, as well as The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Gironella also illustrated literary works, notably Carlos Fuentes's novel Terra Nostra. His later output included a noted series of figurative nudes. Collectors encounter his work primarily in the Latin American modern and contemporary art market.

## Common works and media

Gironella is best known for oil paintings on canvas, often large-scale figurative compositions with political or literary references. Later works include female nudes, frequently depicting reclining or seated figures alongside classical guitars. Mixed-media works and illustrations for literary editions also appear. Collectors may encounter paintings, works on paper, and illustrated book collaborations at auction.

## Market and appraisal context

Gironella's auction presence centers on the Latin American Art category, where paintings, works on paper, and mixed-media pieces appear at major houses. His dual biennial wins in 1960 and his institutional holdings in Mexico and New York provide strong provenance anchors. Factors affecting appraisal include the work's medium and date, exhibition history, published references, condition, and whether the piece dates from his prize-winning early period or his later figurative series. Collectors should verify attribution through expert review or catalogue sources, as Gironella was self-taught and formal catalogue documentation varies.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine verified artist identity research from authority files and museum sources with available auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots. For Alberto Gironella, identity data is sourced from the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the RKD, and The Museum of Modern Art. Market insights are drawn from institutional recognition and biennial prize history; specific auction comparables are referenced when available.

## Sources

- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/132017
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3816949
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Gironella
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500118501
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/8721443/
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/2177
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82013943