Carlos Alcolea was part of the generation of young artists in the 1960s led by Luis Gordillo (1934) who distanced themselves from non-objective approaches and advocated a return to figuration, gaining fame within the context of the so-called from Madrid. His brightly-coloured painting reflects a thoroughly meditated process clearly dominated by drawing and form.

A self-taught artist, Alcolea arrived at painting through truly unconventional paths and his vast culture is behind the ironic touch he brings to his work. His practice has always been associated with Luis Gordillo and David Hockney (1937), with whom he became acquainted through the cultural circles he frequented. However, his art should not be seen as a continuation of the proposals of those two artists, who were more of starting points for the development of his own personal expression.

This drawing forms a pair with De lejos, also in the BBVA Collection. In this case, the artist makes use of energetic, free-flowing drawing with a combination of graphite, pastel and that gives the barely sketched portrait of a man an entity of its own. In spite of being merely a sketch, Alcolea uses detail to explore the spatial configuration, taking a closer look at the character, as if it were the portrait for a coin or for a medal.