Hernando Viñes

HERNANDO VIÑES SOTO, (Paris, 1904 - 1993).
"Cubist couple" or "Couple".1928.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Published in the artist's online catalog raisonné.
Attached certificate of authenticity.
With labels of Sala Parés and Uniarte.
Measurements: 58 x 80 cm.; 75 x 97 cm (frame)

In this composition, Hernando Viñes articulates a scene of strong symbolic charge where the human figure is subjected to a process of simplification and distortion inherited from the cubist language. The two figures, constructed by means of free strokes and planes of earthy color, are presented in an ambiguous space, where the relationship between them acquires an almost psychological character.

The brushstroke, direct and expressive, alternates areas of greater material density with more open areas, generating a balance between construction and spontaneity. The geometric elements -such as the clear planes that frame the figure- introduce a structural tension that refers to the modern tradition, filtered here by a more lyrical and personal sensibility.

Viñes, linked from very early on to the School of Paris and close to figures such as Picasso, developed a language of his own that combines the cubist heritage with an increasingly accentuated gestural freedom. Works of this nature, present in his catalog raisonné, are located in a key moment of maturity, especially valued for their capacity for synthesis and expressive intensity.

A member of the School of Paris, Viñes trained with Maurice Denis, André Lhote and Gino Severini, and was supported by Picasso from the beginning. He made his debut at the Salon d'Automne in 1923 and exhibited in Parisian galleries such as Percier and Max Berger.

His recognition was consolidated after the retrospective of the Museum of Modern Art of Madrid in 1965, intensifying since then his presence in Spanish and international galleries. In 1988 he received the Gold Medal of Arts and Letters.

His work is preserved in institutions such as the Reina Sofia Museum, the Centre Pompidou, ARTIUM or the Patio Herreriano, as well as international museums.