Bonifacio

“BONIFACIO”; BONIFACIO ALFONSO GÓMEZ FERNÁNDEZ (San Sebastián, 1934–2011).
“Soups and Delicacies,” 1976.
Set of 15 prints on paper. Copy 39/60.
Published by: Yves Rivière, Paris.
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil.
Measurements: 34.5 x 29 cm (print); 54 x 44.5 cm (paper); 56.5 x 47 x 1.5 cm (folder).
Within the extraordinary body of graphic work by Bonifacio—known artistically simply as Bonifacio—the series *Sopas y manjares* (1976) holds a unique place. Produced as a portfolio of fifteen etchings for Yves Rivière’s Parisian edition, it illustrates a selection of recipes from the famous culinary treatise by Ruperto de Nola, author of *Libro de guisados, manjares y potajes*, one of the foundational texts of Hispanic gastronomy, printed in the early 16th century. Far from viewing the commission as a conventional gastronomic illustration, Bonifacio transforms the culinary universe into a stage where the full power of his imagination unfolds. The medieval recipes serve merely as a starting point for a deeply personal visual language, populated by hybrid creatures, deformed figures, fantastical animals, and organic architectures that seem to emerge from a dream or ancient mythology.
Bonifacio was one of the most distinctive artists of the second half of the 20th century in Spain, associated with the circle of the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art in Cuenca. Beginning in the 1960s, he exhibited regularly in Spain, France, Germany, and the United States, establishing a significant international career. His work is part of major public collections, including those of the Reina Sofía Museum, the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, the San Telmo Museum, the National Library of Spain, and the Juan March Foundation, as well as prominent private collections both in Spain and abroad.