Rafael Alberti

RAFAEL ALBERTI (El Puerto de Santa María, 1902–1999).
“Gallo,” 1979.
Marker drawing on a “A la pintura” card.
Publisher: Aguilar, 1968.
Signed, dated, located (Madrid), and inscribed.
Measurements: 33 x 24 cm (drawing); 34 x 25 x 3 cm (book).
*A la pintura* is one of Rafael Alberti’s most important literary works. Originally published in 1948, this book is the poet’s tribute to art history and the great masters of painting, reflecting the deep connection he maintained with the visual arts throughout his life. The inclusion of the artist’s autograph drawing on a sheet related to this publication emphasizes the constant dialogue between word and image that characterized much of his artistic output.
The rooster was one of the most frequent motifs in Alberti’s iconography. Featured in numerous drawings, prints, and graphic compositions, this animal is associated with values such as vitality, freedom, imagination, and the Mediterranean folk tradition. Its simple and expressive silhouette allowed the artist to develop a spontaneous language of great visual power, at times reminiscent of naïve drawing and automatic writing.
Rafael Alberti was one of the most important writers of the Generation of ’27 and a key figure in the Silver Age of Spanish literature. A recipient of awards such as the National Poetry Prize, the Cervantes Prize, and the National Theater Prize, he pursued an artistic career marked by both literature and the visual arts. Before devoting himself fully to poetry, his first calling was painting. After moving to Madrid in 1917 and discovering the collections of the Prado Museum, he began training as an artist and exhibited his works at the Salón de Otoño in Madrid in 1920. However, his father’s death led him toward writing, a field in which he quickly gained recognition and became part of the circle of authors who would later form the Generation of ’27.