Julián Grau Santos

JULIÁN GRAU SANTOS (Canfranc, Huesca, 1937).
"Urban view with architecture", 1966.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 72 x 54 cm; 77 x 58 cm (frame).
Son of Emilio Grau Sala and Ángeles Santos Torroella, he trained in Barcelona. In 1949 he makes several trips to Paris, where he has the opportunity to contemplate at first hand works by Sisley, Van Gogh and various impressionists and post-impressionists. He held his first solo exhibition at the Sala Libros in Saragossa in 1957. Since then he has held personal exhibitions in the Syra, Rovira and Vayreda galleries in Barcelona; Alas, Abril, El Cisne, Collage and Biosca in Madrid; Justin Lester in Los Angeles, Art Roman in Tokyo, etc. Since 1966 he has exhibited regularly as a solo artist at the Sala Parés in Barcelona, and in 1968 he took part in the Salon des Artistes Français at the Grand Palais in Madrid. His work, linked to expressionism and very much based on colour, is characterised by a very elaborate technique and a profound knowledge of drawing. He also produced numerous drawings, which were published in various newspapers and magazines. His awards include the La Rambla Prize (Barcelona, 1961), the Ramón Rogent Medal (Salón de Mayo, Barcelona, 1962), the medal of the Fine Arts Exhibition (Madrid, 1961), the 3rd Sant Jordi Prize and Van Gogh Prize (Barcelona, 1963), the City of Barcelona Medal (1965), the Huesca Painting Biennial Prize (1976), the Countess of Barcelona Medal (Madrid, 1983) and the Medal of Honour in the BMW Competition (Madrid, 1987). In recent years he has participated in the ARCO fairs in Madrid and ARTEXPO in Valencia, Barcelona, Basel, New York, Chicago, Miami and Hong Kong. In 1993 the Mapfre Vida Foundation in Madrid dedicated a retrospective exhibition to him.