Aurelio Arteta

AURELIO ARTETA (Bilbao, 1879 - Mexico City, 1940).
"Scene of port work".
Pencil on paper.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 23 × 31 cm; 43 × 51 × 2 cm (frame).

Aurelio Arteta approaches a work scene with the expressive sobriety that characterizes much of his production. The artist combines areas of intense shading with more open areas, achieving great spatial depth. The inclined silhouettes of the workers, the presence of sacks and architectural structures, and the barely insinuated background reinforce the social character of the scene. Arteta does not seek an anecdotal description, but an image of dignity and collective effort.

Aurelio Arteta was one of the great Basque painters of the first half of the 20th century. He trained at the School of Arts and Crafts of Bilbao and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. He received a scholarship in 1902, extended his studies in Paris and also traveled to Italy. He was founder of the Association of Basque Artists and author of outstanding commissions, such as the frescoes of the Bank of Bilbao in Madrid. In 1924 he was appointed first director of the Museum of Modern Art in Bilbao, and won important awards, including the National Painting Prize and the first medal at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1932. His work is represented in the Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao, the Museum of Fine Arts of Alava, the San Telmo Museum of San Sebastian and in numerous private collections.