Expressionist school (XX) - NO RESERVE - The red bullfighters

THE RED BULLS

European Expressionist School
Second half of the 20th century

Oil on panel

Signed

1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE WORK
1.1 Technique and support

Oil on panel.

Dense material application, with generous pictorial charge and evident relief. The surface shows thick impasto and deliberately aggressive texture.

1.2 School and chronology

European expressionist school.

Second half of the 20th century.

The work is part of an expressionist tradition where color dominates over naturalistic representation and the figure is subordinated to emotional impact.

1.3 Measurements

50 x 70 cm

Horizontal format with strong mural presence.

2. ARTISTIC DESCRIPTION
2.1 Composition

The scene represents a taurine motif reduced to its symbolic essence:

The black bull
The bullfighter figure
The circular space of the plaza
All encapsulated in a dominant red chromatic structure, almost enveloping, that acts as both frame and emotional field simultaneously.

2.2 Color treatment

Red is the absolute protagonist.
It is not descriptive red, it is psychological red.
The combination includes:
Carmine reds
Intense oranges
Warm ochres
Dense blacks
Structural grays
The contrast with the black bull generates immediate dramatic tension.

2.3 Matter and gesture

Texture is key in this work.
Thick impasto creates physical relief, generating shadows of its own that change with the light.
The brushstroke is gestural, direct, almost violent.
It does not seek academic accuracy; it seeks emotional impact.

3. CONTEXT AND SCHOOL
3.1 Artistic framework

Bullfighting was reinterpreted by multiple European currents of the 20th century as a symbol of:

Ritual
Death
Primitive energy
Tradition confronted with modernity
In expressionism, the taurine motif ceases to be folkloric and becomes an archetype.

3.2 Stylistic linkage

The work dialogues with:
Post-war European Expressionism
Figurative abstraction
Material painting from the 1960s–80s
Emotion is prioritized over representation.

3.3 Signature

Signed work (visible in the lower area).
The handwriting is consistent with a spontaneous and gestural execution, integrated into the pictorial matter.

4. STATE OF CONSERVATION
4.1 Support

Stable and structurally sound panel.
No appreciable deformations.

4.2 Pictorial surface

Intact material.
Relief well preserved.
No significant losses observed.

4.3 Reverse

Clean reverse, with no visible interventions.
Photographs are an integral part of the description.

5. GUARANTEE AND TRANSPARENCY
5.1 Cataloging

The work is presented as:
European expressionist school, second half of the 20th century
Attribution based on stylistic, technical, and formal criteria.

5.2 Commitment

Barcelona Art Gallery offers:
Professional description
Absolute transparency
Direct communication with the buyer
Complete follow-up of the transaction

5.3 Packaging and shipping

Reinforced professional packaging
Specific protection for the material surface
Certified and insured shipping
Complete logistical tracking
International shipping available
The work will be packed with special regard to protecting the impastos.

6. COLLECTING OPPORTUNITY
6.1 artistic value

Piece with strong visual impact.
Ideal for contemporary interiors, collectors of material painting, or lovers of taurine art reinterpreted from modernity.

6.2 Presence

The 50 x 70 cm format offers mural decisiveness without being invasive.
It is a work that dominates space.

6.3 Market

Expressionist painting with taurine themes maintains constant appeal in both the Spanish and international markets, especially when the treatment is modern and not folkloric.