Víctor Valdivia

VÍCTOR VALDIVIA (Potosí, Bolivia, 1897–1967).
“Circus Scene,” 1932.
Ink, blue pencil, and white gouache highlights on paper.
Signed and dated on the left side.
Original published in *L’Esquella de la Torratxa*.
Shows signs of oxidation, stains, adhesive residue, and minor damage along the edges.
Measurements: 37.5 × 28.5 cm.

Created in 1932 for publication in L’Esquella de la Torratxa, this drawing is a prime example of Víctor Valdivia’s work as a press illustrator, a central focus of his career. The fact that it is an original intended for one of the leading Catalan satirical publications enhances its documentary value and allows for a direct appreciation of the graphic processes preceding print reproduction.

Valdivia structures the scene around the contrast between the monumental figure of the clown, with a dejected expression, and the musician who is intently examining his instrument. The broken bass drum in the foreground provides the humorous element of the scene, conveyed through the characters’ gestures and their relationship to one another rather than through excessive caricature.

Víctor Valdivia was a Bolivian illustrator and painter trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, where he studied under Pío Collivadino. He had a distinguished career as an illustrator in Argentina and contributed to publications such as *Última Hora*, *Caras y Caretas*, and *Plus Ultra*, alternating between newspaper illustration, painting, and editorial work. His graphic works are preserved and studied at the Museum of Graphic Illustration in Buenos Aires, among other institutions.