Lita Cabellut

LITA CABELLUT (Sariñena, Huesca, 1961).
Untitled, 2009.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated on the reverse.
Measurements: 75.5 x 65 cm; 89 x 79 cm (frame).

This oil painting dates from a key period in the consolidation of Lita Cabellut’s artistic language, within her “abstract figuration” phase developed between 2005 and 2010. It also coincides with the explorations of *State of Grace* (2009–2010), a series in which the artist addressed various emotional states through partially constructed figures associated with vulnerability, loneliness, and human intimacy.

The face occupies practically the entire surface and is subject to marked fragmentation: a second facial feature overlaps the upper area, destabilizing individual identity and transforming the portrait into a psychological rather than a descriptive image. The closed eyes, the slightly parted mouth, and the extreme closeness of the framing intensify the introspective nature of the composition. Cabellut combines classical modeling with large dark areas, visible brushstrokes, and a surface with an aged appearance. The interplay of cracks, impasto, and experimental alterations is part of her recognizable contemporary reinterpretation of the fresco technique: a pictorial surface marked by time, fragility, and experience.

Lita Cabellut, trained at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, is one of the most internationally renowned contemporary Spanish artists. Known especially for her monumental portraits and her distinctive treatment of painterly material, she has also developed a notable body of work in sculpture, photography, installation, and set design. Her work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Fundació Vila Casas, the Goya Museum, and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.