Antoni Tàpies

ANTONI TÀPIES (Barcelona, 1923–2012).
“Cherubins (Variations IV).” From the series “Variations sur Chaise,” 1983.
Lithograph in multiple inks on paper. Edition 31/90.
Work reproduced in Galfetti. 997.
Shows slight marks from previous framing.
Signed and numbered by hand.
Measurements: 104 x 74 cm.
The composition is centered around a large white cross—one of the most emblematic and recurring symbols in the artist’s visual vocabulary—which emerges against a background of dark brown tones enriched by graphic elements, inscriptions, and textures with a material quality. True to the aesthetic developed by the artist since the mid-20th century, the work transforms the surface into a space for visual experimentation where signs, marks, and gestures take on a symbolic dimension. The marks that run throughout the composition evoke the world of graffiti, spontaneous writing, and the traces of the passage of time—elements that Tàpies consistently integrated into his quest for an art capable of transcending traditional representation and connecting with a more intimate and reflective experience of reality.
Antoni Tàpies is one of the leading figures in European art of the second half of the 20th century and the foremost exponent of Informalism in Spain. A co-founder of the Dau al Set group, he developed his own artistic language based on material and gestural experimentation, integrating signs, graphic elements, and symbolic motifs with strong spiritual and existential significance. His work is featured in institutions such as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid), the MACBA (Barcelona), and the Fondation Maeght (Saint-Paul-de-Vence), among many others. A recipient of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale and the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts, his graphic work constitutes a fundamental chapter in his career and remains in high demand on the international market.