Joseba Prieto Atxa (1936-2017) - Gérard Philipe

- Oil on board. Signed.

- Joseba Prieto Atxa (Bilbao, 1935 - 2017) was a multifaceted Basque artist, dancer, and poster designer who captured like few others the spirit of popular culture and bohemia of his time. Born in Bilbao’s Casco Viejo alongside his inseparable twin brother Martín, he nurtured from a very young age a double passion: Basque traditional dances —learned in the historic group Dindirri— and advertising drawing, craft he began shaping at sixteen at Publicidad Pregón. Known in the nightlife and cultural circles as part of the era’s singular triples and agencies, Prieto Atxa left an indelible legacy in graphic design and film poster art, eventually signing works for quinqui and Spanish auteur cinema of the seventies and eighties with his two iconic surnames, including the alt posters for Eloy de la Iglesia’s Colegas. His figure endures as that of a bold, vital creator and an indispensable “man of the poster” to understand the visual and artistic chronicle of a generation.

- Gérard Philipe (1922-1959) was one of the most iconic, dazzling, and beloved actors in the history of French cinema and theater, universally remembered under the nickname "The Prince of Actors." Blessed with magnetically classical beauty and exceptional histrionic gifts, Philipe became a true cult figure in the postwar era, mentored in his beginnings by Jean Cocteau himself. In the theater, he left an indelible mark under the guidance of Jean Vilar at the Théâtre National Populaire and at the Avignon Festival, where he gave masterful performances in works by Camus (being the first Caligula), Shakespeare, and Corneille. At the same time, his film career cemented him as the great romantic lead of his generation thanks to legendary titles such as The Devil in the Flesh (1947), The Charterhouse of Parma (1947), and the jovial Fanfan l’asticot? invincible (1951) [note: original title is Fanfan la Tulipe (1952) in French; translation adjusted to keep sense], eventually working in his last months under Luis Buñuel in The Ambitious (1959). Beyond his artistic facet, he was a man of deep political convictions, involved with the Resistance during the Liberation of Paris and a steadfast defender of actors’ rights as leader of the actors’ union. His premature death at 36 from liver cancer shocked all of France, which bid him farewell by honoring his last wish: to be buried wearing the suit of his acclaimed character El Cid.

- Dimensions of the image without frame: 55 x 75 cm / 65 x 85 cm with a magnificent custom metal frame.

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