Antonio López

ANTONIO LÓPEZ GARCÍA (Tomelloso, Ciudad Real, 1936).
“Azucenas,” 2021.
Lithograph and etching on paper. Copy 14/75.
Dated, numbered, and signed by hand.
Measurements: 29 x 36.5 cm (print); 59 x 67.5 cm (paper).
“Azucenas” is a print from Antonio López’s most recent body of work. The piece falls within his usual body of work, centered on the meticulous observation of everyday reality and the representation of simple motifs elevated to the status of poetic imagery.In this case, the floral theme continues one of the most recognizable constants in the artist’s career: still life. In López’s work, flowers serve not only as an aesthetic motif but also as an exercise in contemplating the passage of time, the fragility of life, and the constant transformation of matter.
A painter and sculptor, Antonio López began his artistic training in his hometown, where he took classes with the master painter Antonio López Torres. It was thanks to his artistic aptitude, his talent, and the support of his uncle that he was able to begin his studies in Madrid at the San Fernando Academy. To gain admission, he attended evening classes at the School of Arts and Crafts for a time. This preparation enabled him to enter the academy at the age of 14. During his time as a student, he befriended other artists of his generation, such as Enrique Gran, Amalia Avia, and Lucio Muñoz—a group that came to be known as the Madrid School. In 1955, after completing his studies at the School of Fine Arts, he left for Italy, where he traveled on a scholarship. After completing his studies in 1957, he made his solo debut in Madrid at the Ateneo with an exhibition he had prepared in his hometown, Tomelloso. A year later, thanks to a competition held by the Rodríguez Acosta Foundation, he traveled to Greece on a scholarship. After returning to Madrid in the 1960s, he began exhibiting regularly in galleries, thanks to the contacts he had made through his exhibition at the Biosca Gallery. Antonio López’s work generated great interest in various parts of Europe, the United States, China, and Korea. In 1993, the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid dedicated a retrospective exhibition to him. His work is characterized by the use of a realistic style, showing a strong interest in portraiture, though it also encompasses subjects such as landscape. He is a member of the San Fernando Academy, and among his awards are the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts and the Velázquez Prize for the Visual Arts. In 2008, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston dedicated a solo exhibition to him, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum will do the same in 2011. His works are held in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the ARTIUM in Vitoria; the Reina Sofía National Art Museum in Madrid; the Juan March Foundation; and the Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts, among others.