José Pérez Gil ,PEREZGIL (1918 – 1998) - Pollo fabado

sé Pérez Gil “Pérezgil” (Caudete, 1918 – Alicante, 1998)

“Pollo fabado”
Oil on canvas, 1957

Interesting oil on canvas by José Pérez Gil, known artistically as “Pérezgil” (1918–1998), a prominent Spanish painter of the 20th century and one of the most relevant figures in Alicante painting of his generation.

The work, entitled “Pollo fabado,” appears signed and dated 1950 in the lower left corner, a circumstance that allows it to be precisely situated within an early and especially interesting stage of the artist’s career.

The composition features a single suspended chicken, rendered with strong plastical force against a deliberately sober background. The animal’s position allows the body and plumage to unfold in different directions, creating a dynamic composition that contrasts with the stillness typical of the genre of still life.

One of the most notable aspects of the painting is precisely the treatment of the plumage. Pérezgil builds the body with an energetic, visible brushstroke, layering browns, reddish tones, ochres, blacks, grays, and small light touches. The paint itself takes on a leading role, allowing the different areas of the animal to be differentiated by color and brush direction.

The head and comb, located at the bottom, introduce intense reddish notes that focus the viewer’s attention, while the white and bluish reflections in the plumage provide luminosity and enrich the chromatic composition.

The background, solved with a restrained range of earth tones and grayish hues, avoids any anecdotal element that could compete with the main subject. Especially interesting is the shadow cast by the animal, which reinforces the sense of volume and depth and demonstrates Pérezgil’s attention to the study of light.

The work connects with the long Spanish tradition of still lifes and animals in nature, but is interpreted through a language fully characteristic of the mid-20th century. Figurative precision coexists with a free and expressive execution, particularly evident in the plumage, where the brushstroke ceases to be merely descriptive and becomes an autonomous plastic element.

About José Pérez Gil “Pérezgil”

José Pérez Gil was born in Caudete (Albacete) in 1918 and died in Alicante in 1998. His life and career were deeply linked to Alicante, a city he arrived in as a youth and where he would eventually occupy a particularly prominent position in the cultural scene.

He completed his higher education at the School of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, later continuing his training through various stays abroad, including France, Switzerland and Italy.

Throughout his extensive trayectoria he developed a figurative painting of marked personality. Although he achieved particular recognition as a landscapist—one in which he created some of his best-known works—he also cultivated the still life, the animalier, the portrait, interiors, and drawing.

His pictorial language is characterized by a special concern for light, color, matter, and the construction of volumes, evolving toward a progressively freer and more expressive brushwork without abandoning figurative reference.

The date 1950 makes this work an interesting testimony to a consolidation stage of his career. By that time Pérezgil had completed his academic training and was beginning to gain recognition within the Spanish art scene.

His career received numerous prizes and distinctions. In addition to his activity as a painter, he carried out an important teaching and cultural role. He became an corresponding academic of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, a member of the Consell Valencià de Cultura, and was distinguished as Adopted Son of Alicante.

His production is currently represented in various museums, institutions, and public and private collections, consolidating Pérezgil as one of the representative figures of Spanish Levantine painting of the 20th century.

Condition report

The work presents a good general state of conservation considering its age. Its specific condition can be seen in detail in the photographs, which form an integral part of the description.

It is presented with a rustic wooden frame, in keeping with the character of the composition. The frame may show scuffs, wear, and small signs derived from the passage of time.

“Pollo fabado” constitutes an interesting dated work by Pérezgil, both for its execution in 1950 and for the singularity of the motif and, especially, for the quality of the painting treatment of the animal. The color richness of the plumage, the energetic brushwork, and the studied treatment of light turn a traditional still-life subject into a composition of notable plastic strength.