Francisco Barrachina

FRANCISCO BARRACHINA (Benifallín, Alicante, 1940).
“Young Man with a Red Scarf.”
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 41 x 33 cm, 66 x 85 cm (frame).
A painter of figures, portraits, animals, and landscapes, Paco Barrachina works in both oil and watercolor. He discovered his artistic calling as a child; at the age of six, he realized that he could use charcoal from the fireplace to make meaningful lines, and he began drawing on the walls of his village. Years later, he enrolled at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in Valencia, where he studied under Genaro Lahuerta, and later continued his studies at the Artistic Circle of Madrid. He then traveled throughout Spain studying various landscapes, interiors, and monuments, always painting from life. He developed a realistic style, focusing particularly on customs and landscapes, while also depicting the human figure with an expressive and profound artistic language that goes beyond the mere capture of detail to delve into the human soul. Furthermore, his artistic language bears an undeniable influence of Sorolla, particularly in his interplay of light and shadow. Throughout his career, Barrachina has held exhibitions at various galleries in Valencia (Toscana, Artis, San Vicente, Pizarro), Castellón (Novell), Madrid (San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Mellado, Verona, Ansorena), Las Palmas (Madelca), Vitoria (Ugarte), Gijón (Van Dyck), and, abroad, in Lisbon (Europeia, Euroarte). He has also participated in major group exhibitions held at venues such as the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Valencia, the Reales Atarazanas in the same city, the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, the Museo de la Ciudad de Valencia, and the European Parliament in Strasbourg. His work is currently represented in the Provincial Council of Alicante and the European Parliament in Strasbourg, as well as in other institutional and private collections.