José Vela Zanetti

JOSÉ VELA ZANETTI (Milagros, Burgos, 1913 – Burgos, 1999).
“Peasants.”
Oil on panel.
The frame shows slight damage.
Signed in the upper left corner.
Measurements: 65 x 92 cm; 82 x 108 cm (frame).
In this work, we find one of the most representative themes of José Vela Zanetti’s career: the dignification of the rural world and the figure of the Castilian farmer, depicted not as an anecdotal character but as a symbol of effort, resilience, and humanity. The artist was able to capture the inner strength of these figures through faces marked by experience, profound gazes, and expressive hands that take on an almost sculptural prominence.
The composition reflects his interest in monumental figures and in a representation charged with emotion, where bold forms and intense gestures convey the social and human dimension of peasant labor. His artistic language combines classical influences—evident in the solidity of the forms and the prominence given to the human figure—with the formal synthesis of Cubism and the narrative power of Muralism, a movement with which he maintained a close connection during his exile in the United States.The work also features a color palette highly characteristic of Vela Zanetti, based on ochres, earth tones, blacks, and grays—shades that evoke the austerity of the Castilian countryside and which the artist frequently used to reinforce the character of his compositions. José Vela Zanetti (1913–1999) was a Spanish painter and muralist born in Burgos. After beginning his career in León, where he held his first exhibition in 1931, he furthered his training through travels in Italy and Madrid. Following the Spanish Civil War, he went into exile in the Dominican Republic, where he co-founded the National School of Fine Arts and developed a significant international career. In 1951, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship to create a monumental mural at the United Nations headquarters in New York—his most iconic work, dedicated to the defense of peace and human rights. The creator of numerous murals in Spain, the Americas, and Europe, Vela Zanetti stood out for his figurative style marked by a strong social commitment. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Burgos. His work is held in major collections and foundations, particularly in Burgos and León.