Oliver Plehn - Caballero XL

The painting Knight was made with charcoal and Gouache on a canvas measuring 100 cm x 81 cm in the year 2026. Signed with black lettering at the bottom right. Comes with a certificate of authenticity, impeccable condition. The work is shipped rolled inside a tube.

In Caballero XL, Oliver Plehn captures a moment of raw, visceral resistance: the warrior has fallen to the ground, but he does not surrender. Kneeling or stretched out, he grips his sword firmly and raises his shield in defense; his armor — treated with bold charcoal strokes and vibrant touches of gouache in deep blues and ethereal grays — conveys the weight of battle and, at the same time, an unyielding will. The figure is not defeated; it is on the edge, protecting itself with all that remains, embodying that duality of physical fragility and indomitable spirit strength.
This work is part of the series “Mirrors of the Self: Portraits of Fragility and Strength,” where, as curator Antonio Sánchez (1819 Art Gallery) notes, the pieces “oscillate between literal representation and abstraction” to provoke a deep reflection on “what it means to be human in times of emotional and social turmoil.” Plehn, influenced by German expressionists and with a career that includes exhibitions at Yale School of Art, Madrid-Barajas Airport, Friedenskirche, and presence on Artsy, Flecha.es and 1819 Art Gallery, paints “from fragility, from that liminal space where pain and beauty coexist.”
A recent (2026) large-format piece, with masterful technique in charcoal and gouache, ideal for collectors seeking contemporary figurative art rich in psychological symbolism: not an invincible hero, but one who, even on the ground, keeps fighting. A powerful mirror of our own capacity for resilience when all seems lost.

Unique piece with a strong visual impact, directly from the creator!

MIRRORS OF THE SELF: PORTRAITS OF FRAGILITY AND STRENGTH
By Antonio Sánchez. Director and curator of 1819 Art Gallery
The collection at hand is an emotional compendium of works that explore the depth of the human condition through portraits and figures laden with symbolism. These pieces weave together a visual narrative that unfolds a palette of subtle and often somber colors, evoking introspective and contemplative moods. The technical prowess reveals not only mastery of the medium but also an intense emotional connection between the artist and his subjects, each bearer of a silent yet palpable story.
Textures and techniques vary from softly blurred to aggressively marked, reflecting the diversity of human emotions and the complexity of our experiences. The strokes, whether firm or tremulous, along with the play of light and shadow, build an atmosphere that transcends the visual to touch the viewer’s soul.
The work oscillates between literal representation and abstraction, allowing the viewer’s mind to fill the gaps, encouraging deeper engagement. The intentional use of discordant or unexpected elements, such as a knife piercing a figure’s face, challenges our perceptions and provokes an introspective reflection on what it means to be human in times of emotional and social turmoil.
The collection as a whole serves as a mirror of the fragility and strength inherent in the human spirit. Each piece, while unique in its expression, contributes to a broader dialogue about resilience and vulnerability. The choice of subjects, from human figures to representations of animals, each imbued with deep emotivity, amplifies this dialogue, suggesting a universality in our emotional experiences.
This body of works, beyond merely a display of technical skill, is a testament to the power of art to move, connect, and question. The collection not only captures the aesthetic beauty of its subjects but also acts as a catalyst for personal and collective exploration of deep and often contradictory emotions. In doing so, these works invite viewers to confront the unknown within themselves and in the world around them, offering a space for recognition and catharsis.

Artist Biography – Oliver Plehn
The work of German painter and draftsman Oliver Plehn is characterized by expressive representations of the human and animal body. Faces and bodies form the center of his artistic universe: powerful, sensitive, and rich in psychological depth. From childhood, the imagery of German expressionists influenced him, whose emotional immediacy and formal freedom remain a reference in his artistic language to this day.
From a young age, Plehn chose to be an artist and to maintain creative independence. In addition to studying painting and drawing in art schools, he studied natural sciences, which afforded him professional independence and artistic freedom. In the early 1990s, a fellowship in the field of quantum mechanics brought him to Madrid.
Oliver Plehn lives with his wife and two daughters in the Madrid district of Carabanchel Alto.

Artist Statement
My work arises from the impulse to understand human existence in its deepest and most contradictory interior. Throughout my career, I have explored portraiture as a means to reveal not only what is visible but also what is hidden: repressed emotions, soul scars, gestures of silent resistance. I paint from fragility, from that liminal space where pain and beauty coexist without permission.
I am not interested in capturing perfect faces, but presence, the presence that speaks of what remains unsaid. I am drawn to silences, gazes that carry stories, bodies that vibrate with lived experience. Each work is, for me, an attempt at dialogue with the unknown, that inner territory from which we often try to escape.
My goal as an artist is to create images that are not only observed but also interrogate the viewer. I want them to act as mirrors in which one can recognize something of oneself, even in discomfort or unease. I work figuratively, yes, but I seek in it an openness to mystery, to doubt, to the emotion that cannot be put into words.
I feel that art has the power to heal, to reveal, and to accompany. In this sense, my practice is also a form of care: for myself and for all those who approach these images with an open heart.
Exhibitions
• Online presence on Artsy
• Online presence on Flecha.es
• Online presence on 1819 Art Gallery
• “Aqua versus Terra,” September 1–30, 2025, Madrid
• “Madrid Hidden,” June 1 to July 15, 2025, Madrid
• “The Gods of Muay Thai and a Strange One,” December 1, 2022 – January 6, 2023, Madrid
• Exhibition at Yale School of Art, March 2021
• Solo exhibition at Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport "Faces of the World," December 30, 2019 – February 7, 2020
• Solo exhibition "The Passion of the Christ" at Friedenskirche, the German church, Serrano Street 6, Madrid
• Exhibition at United Artist Fair 2019 at the Casa de Cantabria, Madrid, February 2019
• Painting exhibition on Serrano Street, Madrid, December 2018 – February 2019
• Solo painting exhibition in Madrid, Spain, November 2018
• Painting exhibition in Madrid, Spain, Serrano Street, November 2016 – January 2017