Julio Girona

JULIO GIRONA FERNÁNDEZ (Manzanillo, Cuba, 1914–Havana, 2002).
Untitled, ca. 1970.
Mixed media on canvas.
Signed in the upper left corner.
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by José Veigas Zamora.
Measurements: 129 x 88 cm; 133 x 92 cm (frame).

Created around 1970, this work belongs to Julio Girona’s mature period, following his long association with the New York art scene and at a time of growing engagement with Cuba. Initially trained as a sculptor, Girona later developed a career as a painter in which he alternated between figuration and abstraction, maintaining a constant interest in line, structure, and the transformation of the figure.

The composition is built through a dense superimposition of planes, curved contours, and lines that run vertically across the canvas. Although the language is abstract, some forms retain bodily, architectural, or instrumental resonances, arising from the interplay between fragments rather than from explicit representation.

The balance between geometry and organic forms, together with the use of drawing as a unifying element, distinguishes this work from the more expansive gesturality of Abstract Expressionism. Its large format and the richness of its internal relationships make the canvas a representative example of his mature abstract exploration.

Julio Girona studied at the San Alejandro Academy, the Académie Ranson in Paris, and the Art Students League of New York. Associated with the New York School and a member of The Club, he exhibited in American and European galleries beginning in 1954. The National Museum of Fine Arts of Cuba dedicated retrospectives to him in 1986 and 2009, and in 1998 he received Cuba’s National Prize for the Visual Arts.