António Pimentel (1935-1998) - Composition No 314 - 1996

António Pimentel
Title: Composition No. 314
Date: 1996

Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
22 × 27 cm (unframed) – 44 × 39 cm (framed)

Signature: Signed upper right António Pimentel
Inscription on the back: “António Pimentel 1996” written directly on the canvas

Frame: Original wooden frame, on the verso bearing the framer’s stamp “Prof. Rua Pedro Álvares Cabral, 63 – 3000 Coimbra”

Provenance: Private collection, Portugal

Purchased on June 3, 1997.

Condition:

Canvas in excellent condition; minor wear and small accidents to the original frame, mainly at the corners.

Description

This geometric and dynamic composition reflects António Pimentel’s mature period in the 1990s. The artist explores the tension between industrial forms and chromatic rhythm, combining cylindrical volumes and metallic surfaces. The interplay of cool tones (blue, grey) with vivid accents (red, white) creates a visual balance typical of his pictorial language.

Commentary

A representative work from Pimentel’s Compositions series, where he develops an aesthetic influenced by constructivism and mechanical design. The precision of line and the subtle modulation of light express a pursuit of order and motion, emblematic of his production during the 1990s.
This composition, through its controlled dreamlike atmosphere and the almost surreal precision of its forms, recalls at times the visual universe of Salvador Dalí, while maintaining the geometric rigor characteristic of António Pimentel.

Biography

António Pimentel (1935–1998) was a Portuguese painter and architect born in Coimbra. Known for his abstract and geometric compositions, he combined technical precision with a poetic sense of structure. Trained at the Escola Superior de Belas-Artes do Porto, Pimentel developed a distinctive visual language rooted in constructivist principles and architectural balance. His works explore the relationship between form, color, and spatial rhythm, reflecting both rational design and lyrical abstraction. From the 1980s onward, he exhibited regularly in Portugal and abroad, and his works are held in numerous public and private collections.

António Pimentel
Title: Composition No. 314
Date : 1996

Acrylic on canvas

Dimensions :
22 × 27 cm (without frame) – 44 × 39 cm (with frame)

Signature: Signed at the top right António Pimentel

Dated on the back: “António Pimentel 1996” inscribed directly on the canvas

Framing: Original wooden frame, reverse bearing the framer's details “Prof. Rua Pedro Álvares Cabral, 63 – 3000 Coimbra”

Provenance: Private collection, Portugal

Handwritten inscription on the back: "Purchased on 3/June/1997" (purchase dated June 3, 1997)

Condition: Canvas in very good condition; minor damage to the original frame, mainly at the corners.

Description

This geometric and dynamic composition illustrates António Pimentel's mature period in the 1990s. The artist explores the tension between industrial forms and chromatic rhythms, blending cylindrical volumes with metallic surfaces. The contrasts between cool tones (blues, grays) and vivid accents (red, white) create a visual balance characteristic of his visual language.

Comment

Typical work from the Composições series, in which Pimentel develops an aesthetic inspired by Constructivism and mechanical design. The precision of the line and the subtle modulation of light convey a search for order and movement, emblematic of his output in the 1990s.
With its controlled dreamlike atmosphere and the almost surreal precision of its shapes, this composition sometimes evokes the visual universe of Salvador Dalí, while preserving the geometric rigor typical of António Pimentel.

Biography

António Pimentel (1935–1998) was a Portuguese painter and architect born in Coimbra. He is known for his abstract and geometric compositions, combining technical rigor with a poetic sense of structure. Trained at the Escola Superior de Belas-Artes do Porto, he developed a singular visual language, nourished by constructivist references and a keen sense of architectural balance. His works explore the relationship between form, color and spatial rhythm, conveying a quest for harmony between reason and emotion. From the 1980s, he regularly exhibited in Portugal and abroad, and several of his works are today in public and private collections.