Antonio López

ANTONIO LÓPEZ GARCÍA (Tomelloso, Ciudad Real, 1936) for ARTIKA.
Artist’s book “Bodies and Flowers,” 2009.
Stitched binding in 16-page blocks with cotton thread. Cardboard cover with Natuur & Halflinnen fabric endpapers, digitally printed in 4 colors, and a rounded spine. Interior on 200 g Modigliani Insize Candido New paper with 4-color printing.
Case consisting of a base and lid made of maple wood, lacquered in gray. With magnetic closure.
Includes a giclée print of the work “Rosas de Ávila,” in a limited and numbered edition. Digitally printed on 315g Velin Museum paper.
Hand-signed and hand-numbered.
Measurements: 73 x 54 x 8 cm.
The publisher, Artika, describes "Bodies and Flowers" as “A captivating art book that traces the artistic career of the realist genius and allows us to appreciate his works down to the finest details, thanks to the life-size reproductions of many of his pieces. Furthermore, it brings us closer to his feelings, passions, and obsessions through texts by Rafael Argullol and Antonio López himself, as well as an interview between the painter and Julio Vaquero. *Bodies and Flowers* also includes an item of great artistic value: a limited-edition, numbered giclée print of the work *Rosas de Ávila*. This print, personally selected by Antonio López, can also be displayed as a standalone piece. The case features a detail taken from one of the sketches the artist made for his sculpture “La mujer de Coslada.” A spectacular work of art with infinite possibilities, which are revealed when the image on the glass of the case is combined with the book’s covers.”
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—factors that paved the way for him 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 period of 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 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 of 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 continued to exhibit in galleries, thanks to the contacts he made through his show 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 themes 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 Plastic 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 Center in Madrid; the Juan March Foundation; and the Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts, among others.