Antoni Tàpies

ANTONI TÀPIES (Barcelona, 1923–2012).
“Crâne renversé.”
Lithograph + Artist’s catalog raisonné by Anna Agustí (4 volumes).
Measurements: 31 x 42 cm (lithograph); 46 x 58.5 cm (frame); 30.5 x 60 x 6 cm (books, x4).
Lot consisting of a lithograph accompanied by the artist’s catalog. In *Crâne renversé* (Upside-Down Skull), the image emerges through spontaneous, gestural white strokes against an intense black background, creating a composition of great expressive power characteristic of Tàpies’ work. True to the language of Informalism, the artist transforms a seemingly simple motif into a reflection on the human condition, memory, and matter. The work is complemented by the catalog raisonné of Antoni Tàpies, compiled by Anna Agustí in four volumes—a seminal publication that documents and contextualizes the artist’s graphic output.
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 imbued with deep spiritual and existential meaning. His work is held 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.