Antonio López

ANTONIO LÓPEZ (Tomelloso, Ciudad Real, 1936).
“Gran Vía, August 1, 7:30 a.m.,” 2024.
Lithograph and etching on 320 g Canson Edition paper.
Signed, dated, and inscribed “V/X H.C.” in pencil.
Out-of-print copy, part of an edition of 100 copies, plus artist’s proofs and out-of-print copies.
Measurements: 68.5 × 70 cm.

The work offers a quiet view of Madrid’s Gran Vía, seen from the privacy of a balcony. The railing and the dark side frame act as a threshold from which the gaze opens onto the avenue, dominated by the Metropolis building and architecture rendered with meticulous precision. The vast blue sky and the near-total absence of traffic envelop the scene in a serene, strange, and suspended atmosphere.

The image is part of Antonio López’s long-standing exploration of Madrid and the changes that light brings to the urban landscape. As in his celebrated views begun in the 1970s, the city ceases to be a mere subject and becomes an experience of contemplation and anticipation. The combination of lithography and etching balances architectural accuracy with a rich interplay of surfaces, light, and nuances.

Antonio López is a key figure in contemporary Spanish realism, known for his cityscapes, interiors, still lifes, and figures, created through prolonged observation of life from nature. He received the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts and was the subject of major retrospectives at the Reina Sofía Museum in 1993 and at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in 2011. His work is extensively represented in the Reina Sofía Museum’s collection.