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 by black lettering at the bottom right. Comes with an authenticity certificate, pristine condition. The work is shipped rolled inside a tube.

In Caballero XL, Oliver Plehn captures a moment of raw, visceral resilience: the warrior has fallen to the ground, but does not surrender. Kneeling or prone, he grips the sword firmly and raises the shield in defense; his armor — treated with intense charcoal strokes and vibrant touches of gouache in deep blues and ethereal grays — conveys the weight of combat and, at the same time, an unyielding will. The figure is not defeated; he is at the limit, protecting himself 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 Fortitude,” 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 tumult.” Plehn, influenced by German expressionists and with a career that includes exhibitions at Yale Graduate School of Art, Madrid-Barajas Airport, Friedenskirche, and a 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 resistance when all seems lost.

Unique piece with high visual impact, directly from the creator!

MIRRORS OF THE SELF: PORTRAITS OF FRAGILITY AND FORTITUDE
By Antonio Sánchez. Director and curator of 1819 Art Gallery
The collection we are dealing with is an emotional compendium of works that explore the depth of the human condition through portraits and figures loaded with symbolism. These pieces weave a visual narrative that deploys a palette of subtle and often somber colors, evoking introspective and contemplative moods. 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 range from softly blended to aggressively marked, reflecting the diversity of human emotions and the complexity of our experiences. The strokes, whether firm or tremulous, together 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 slicing through a figure’s face, challenges our perceptions and provokes introspection about what it means to be human in times of emotional and social tumult.
The collection as a whole serves as a mirror of fragility and inherent fortitude of the human spirit. Each piece, while remaining 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 emotion, amplifies this dialogue, suggesting a universality in our emotional experiences.
This set of works, beyond simply showcasing 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 painter and draftsman Oliver Plehn’s work 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 decided to become an artist and maintain his creative independence. In addition to studying painting and drawing in art schools, he studied natural sciences, which gave him professional independence and artistic freedom. In the early 1990s, a scholarship in the field of quantum mechanics led him to Madrid.
Oliver Plehn lives with his wife and two daughters in the Madrid neighborhood of Carabanchel Alto.

Artistic 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, scars of the soul, gestures of silent resistance. I paint from fragility, from that liminal space where pain and beauty coexist without permission.
I’m not interested in capturing perfect faces, but presence, that which speaks of what remains unsaid. I’m drawn to silences, looks that carry stories, bodies vibrating with lived experience. Each work is, for me, an attempt at dialogue with the unknown, that inner territory we often try to escape from.
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 find something of oneself, even in unsettled or uneasy moments. I work figuratively, yes, but I seek in it an openness to mystery, to doubt, to emotion that wordlessly emerges.
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
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Online presence on Artsy
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Online presence on Flecha.es
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Online presence on 1819 Art Gallery
•“Aqua versus Terra,” September 1–30, 2025, Madrid
•“Madrid Hidden,” June 1–July 15, 2025, Madrid
•“The Gods of Muay Thai and a Strange One,” December 1, 2022 – January 6, 2023, Madrid
•Exhibition at Yale Graduate School of Art, March 2021
•Solitary exhibition at Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport “Faces of the World,” December 30, 2019 – February 7, 2020
•Solitary exhibition “The Passion of the Christ” at Friedenskirche, the German church, Calle Serrano 6, Madrid
•Exhibition at United Artist Fair 2019 at Casa de Cantabria, Madrid, February 2019
•Paintings exhibition on Calle Serrano, Madrid, December 2018 – February 2019
•Solitary painting exhibition in Madrid, Spain, November 2018
•Paintings exhibition in Madrid, Spain, Calle Serrano, November 2016 – January 2017