Manolo Valdés

MANOLO VALDÉS (Valencia, 1942)
"Margaret of Austria".
Etching and collage on paper.
Signed and justified in pencil.
Measurements: 97 × 63 cm; 112 × 78 cm (frame).

In this work, Manolo Valdés reinterprets the figure of the Infanta Margarita of Austria, a fundamental icon of Diego Velázquez's painting and a recurring motif in the Valencian artist's production. From this classical reference, Valdés constructs a resounding image, where the figure is reduced to synthetic volumes and a powerful frontal presence.

The mixed technique of etching and collage intensifies the material character of the work, generating a surface rich in textures, incisions and tonal hallmarks. This treatment reinforces the almost sculptural dimension of the figure, one of the most distinctive features of his plastic language.

Far from a literal reproduction, Valdés proposes a contemporary reinterpretation of the baroque court portrait, transforming it into a timeless visual sign.

Manolo Valdés introduced in Spain an artistic expression that combines political and social commitment with humor and irony. After training at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts, in 1964 he co-founded the Equipo Crónica group, active until 1981. Since then he has lived in New York, where he has expanded his work to sculpture.

He has received numerous national and international awards and his work, of large format and strong material and symbolic charge, is present in museums such as the Reina Sofia, MoMA, Metropolitan, Guggenheim and Centre Pompidou, among others.