Julián Grau Santos

JULIAN GRAU SANTOS (Canfranc, Huesca, 1937).
"Old woman of Belmonte", 1959.
Ink on paper.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 19 x 14 cm; 38 x 31 cm (frame).
Son of Emilio Grau Sala and Ángeles Santos Torroella, he is formed in Barcelona. In 1949 he makes several trips to Paris, where he has the opportunity to contemplate first hand works of Sisley, Van Gogh and diverse impressionists and postimpressionists. He held his first individual exhibition at the Sala Libros in Zaragoza in 1957. Since then he has held personal exhibitions in the Syra, Rovira and Vayreda galleries in Barcelona; Alas, Abril, El Cisne, Collage and Biosca in Madrid; Justin Lester in Los Angeles, Art Roman in Tokyo, etc. Since 1966 he regularly exhibits individually at the Sala Parés in Barcelona, and in 1968 he participated in the Salon des Artistes Français at the Grand Palais in Madrid. His work, linked to expressionism and very much based on color, is characterized by a very elaborate technique and a deep knowledge of drawing. He also made numerous drawings, which were published in various newspapers and magazines. His awards include the La Rambla Prize (Barcelona, 1961), the Ramón Rogent Medal (Salón de Mayo, Barcelona, 1962), medal of the Fine Arts Exhibition (Madrid, 1961), III Sant Jordi Prize and Van Gogh Prize (Barcelona, 1963), City of Barcelona Medal (1965), Huesca Painting Biennial Prize (1976), Condesa de Barcelona Medal (Madrid, 1983) and Medal of Honor in the BMW Competition (Madrid, 1987). In recent years he has participated in the ARCO fairs in Madrid and ARTEXPO in Valencia, Barcelona, Basel, New York, Chicago, Miami and Hong Kong. In 1993 the Mapfre Vida Foundation in Madrid dedicated a retrospective exhibition to him.