Vicente Arnás Lozano (Madrid, 1949). "The old bullfighter", 2023. Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower left corner. Signed, dated and titled on the back.

Lot description

VICENTE ARNÁS LOZANO (Madrid, 1949). "The old bullfighter", 2023. Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower left corner. Signed, dated and titled on the back. Measurements: 81 x 65 cm. In El viejo torero Vicente Arnas constructs an image far from any epic exaltation of bullfighting to place himself in a territory of memory. The work does not portray the bullfighter in the instant of the action, but in a later time. The central figure emerges from a dark and almost undefined background, which reinforces its introspective character. The face, treated with a loose and expressive brushstroke, reveals weariness, melancholy and a serene lucidity. The richly worked costume acts as a symbolic counterpoint. Formally, the work is situated in a contemporary figuration with a strong expressionist charge. The anatomy does not seek an academic realism, but an emotional truth built through subtle deformations, glazes and hallmarks of light. The visible brushstroke and the almost unfinished treatment of some areas reinforce the idea of transience, as if the character were slowly fading in time. Vicente Arnás is a painter from Madrid who began his artistic career linked to the world of advertising. After several years of experience, in 1976, he had his first individual exhibition, which was held in the Macarrón room in Madrid. After the success of his first exhibition, he began an exhibition career that has taken him to places like New York, or different European countries. Participating in prestigious fairs such as Arco, or Europ Art, held in Geneva. He has also been awarded on numerous occasions, being medal of honor in the BMW painting award and receiving the prize of the Real maestranza of Seville, among others. Something that has earned him the recognition of both the public and the critics. His painting is characterized by the recreation of dreamlike worlds, placid, where it seems that time stands still. He creates worlds of realistic aesthetics, close to currents such as magical realism, or influences such as those of the painter Arcimboldo or Bosch. During a period of time he was part of the group "Nueve expresiones" with whom he exhibited in several collective exhibitions.