Andreu Alfaro
(Valencia, 1929 – 2012)
Amazona II
1988
Portuguese pink marble
49.5 x 43 x 23.6 cm
Inv. no. 34232
BBVA Collection Spain
This is a superb marble sculpture by the artist from Valencia, whose extensive, broad-ranging work is a benchmark of twentieth-century Spanish sculpture. Alfaro’s practice is defined by a highly rewarding tension of opposites which sometimes lean towards and other times towards baroque.
His earlier pieces, developed in the context of the together with great artists such as Eusebio Sempere (1923-1985), Salvador Soria (1915-2010) and Joaquín Michavila (1926-2016), acknowledge the influence of art informel, after which he gradually evolved towards geometric .
In the 1980s, after twenty years devoted to abstraction, Alfaro brought his generatrixes to a close and opened up to new influences. He started out on a new path, turning his attention towards traditional sculpture. This piece, which opened a new creative period, was made at a time when his work was receiving recognition by academic institutions, most notably Spain’s National Visual Arts Prize in 1981.
Stylistically, the artist was influenced on one hand by ancient sculpture, particularly by the Greek , which he held in great admiration. On the other hand, he was attracted by the great Italian masters of the late Renaissance and Baroque, like Michelangelo (1475-1564) and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). As far as the material employed in his works is concerned, he usually worked with stone, thus reaffirming its use as a constructive element in sculpture. In fact, many of his works were created in white and pink marble and limestone, conceptually opening up a new path in which he explored issues of volume, weight and quality of surface. For Alfaro, stone is the material that best expresses a sense of immutability.
In Amazona II, Alfaro used a pink marble from Portugal which he sculpted into the shape of a geometric and stylised body. The piece is delicate and subtle, simplified with curved lines that outline the head, torso and leg, which is noticeably advanced, suggesting a figure in motion.
His earlier pieces, developed in the context of the together with great artists such as Eusebio Sempere (1923-1985), Salvador Soria (1915-2010) and Joaquín Michavila (1926-2016), acknowledge the influence of art informel, after which he gradually evolved towards geometric .
In the 1980s, after twenty years devoted to abstraction, Alfaro brought his generatrixes to a close and opened up to new influences. He started out on a new path, turning his attention towards traditional sculpture. This piece, which opened a new creative period, was made at a time when his work was receiving recognition by academic institutions, most notably Spain’s National Visual Arts Prize in 1981.
Stylistically, the artist was influenced on one hand by ancient sculpture, particularly by the Greek , which he held in great admiration. On the other hand, he was attracted by the great Italian masters of the late Renaissance and Baroque, like Michelangelo (1475-1564) and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). As far as the material employed in his works is concerned, he usually worked with stone, thus reaffirming its use as a constructive element in sculpture. In fact, many of his works were created in white and pink marble and limestone, conceptually opening up a new path in which he explored issues of volume, weight and quality of surface. For Alfaro, stone is the material that best expresses a sense of immutability.
In Amazona II, Alfaro used a pink marble from Portugal which he sculpted into the shape of a geometric and stylised body. The piece is delicate and subtle, simplified with curved lines that outline the head, torso and leg, which is noticeably advanced, suggesting a figure in motion.
