Christian Pignol

CHRISTIAN PIGNOL (Madrid, 1970).
“Karen.”
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Certificate of authenticity included.
Measurements: 40 x 40 cm.

In “Karen,” Christian Pignol combines his mastery of realistic portraiture with a freer, more experimental painterly approach. The face, rendered with precision and delicate tonal gradations, serves as the focal point of the composition, while the background is built up with a dense, vibrant texture, suffused with blues, violets, turquoises, and reds.

Particularly interesting is the contrast between the carefully finished areas—the face, hair, and long black gloves—and the lower portion, where the preparatory drawing remains partially visible. This technique introduces a deliberate sense of the creative process and juxtaposes figurative virtuosity with a more open and gestural surface, lending the work a contemporary character.

Christian Pignol, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1997, has developed a career centered on realist painting. Notable among his exhibitions are those held at the Santiago Echebarria Gallery between 2009 and 2013 and his ongoing participation in exhibitions at the Castelló 120 Gallery since 1999. He has previously exhibited at the Margarita Summers Gallery, the Recoletos Gallery, and the Astarté Gallery, among other venues in Madrid.