Manuel Viola

MANUEL VIOLA (Zaragoza, 1916 – San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 1987).
Untitled.
Acrylic on Tablex.
Inscribed on the back: “To Ruy from Mariasun.”
Measurements: 30 x 39 cm; 41 x 50 cm (frame).
The composition, dominated by the contrast between luminous yellow and deep black, reveals one of Viola’s primary concerns: the exploration of color as an emotional and expressive element. Against the dark background, the yellow forms seem to emerge with an intense inner force, creating a visual tension between presence and emptiness, light and darkness. Black serves not merely as a background, but as an active space that enhances the chromatic vibrancy and lends greater intensity to the painterly gestures.
Manuel Viola’s career was marked by a constant exploration of the expressive possibilities of painting. His involvement in European avant-garde movements during his youth and his subsequent membership in El Paso were decisive in the development of a body of work in which color, light, and material become the primary vehicles of emotion. Honored with awards such as the Lissone Prize in Milan and the Gold Medal of the City of Zaragoza, his works are now part of major national and international collections, including the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.