Rafael Zabaleta Fuentes (1907-1960), Circulo de - NO RESERVE - Burros

Circle of Rafael Zabaleta (1907–1960)

Group of donkeys in a Castilian landscape — c. 1950

Author / attribution: Circle of Rafael Zabaleta
Title: Group of donkeys in a Castilian landscape
Technique: oil on burlap / canvas with a thick weave
Chronology: c. 1950
School: Spanish
Dimensions of the work: 54 × 65 cm
Overall dimensions with frame: 76 × 87 cm
Signature: not visible
Provenance: private Spanish collection

Description

Interesting oil on burlap from the mid-20th century, stylistically attributed to the circle of Rafael Zabaleta (1907–1960) for its expressive treatment of the rural landscape, its intense chromatic construction, and the deliberate simplification of forms.

The composition presents four donkeys paused in an open landscape. The animals, individualized through different chromatic ranges — brown, blue, purplish white, and black — acquire a virtually monumental presence and constitute the true visual axis of the work.

The painter deliberately abandons a strictly naturalistic representation. The landscape is built through large horizontal bands of color, where intense yellows, deep blues, greens, pinks, and earth tones follow one another, creating a structure almost autonomous from the observed reality.

One of the main attractions of the painting lies in its extraordinary materiality. The oil appears applied with abundant impasto, especially visible in the terrain, the clouds, and certain zones of the animals. The surface preserves brush, spatula, and dragging traces, turning the very thickness of the paint into an essential part of the expression.

The sky is treated through a succession of strongly textured blues and whites, while the shadows of the ground are resolved with intense blues and violets, consciously moving away from natural color.

Affinity with Rafael Zabaleta and postwar Spanish painting

The work shows important affinities with certain languages developed by Rafael Zabaleta during the 1950s, especially in his representation of the rural world, the animals, formal simplification, and the use of intense colors delimited by dark outlines.

During his mature period, Zabaleta transformed peasants, animals, and landscapes into chromatic structures of great expressive force, progressively moving away from naturalistic description to develop a painting close to Fauvism and Expressionism.

The presence of donkeys and domestic animals is also a documented theme in his late-1950s production.

This work shares this visual universe: monumental rural fauna, color liberated from naturalistic representation, landscape built through color bands, and a pronounced presence of painterly matter.

Connections can also be seen with the milieu of renewal of the Castilian landscape developed by Benjamín Palencia, the Segunda Escuela de Vallecas, and certain artists of the Escuela de Madrid, context in which the work should be understood.

Cataloguing as “Circle of Rafael Zabaleta” should be considered a stylistic proposal. There is currently no signature, certificate, documentary provenance, or inclusion in a catalog raisonné that would allow a direct attribution to the artist.

Artistic value

Beyond attribution, the work possesses a strong personality.

The four animals function almost like a rhythmic sequence of forms and colors, while the landscape loses depth to become a succession of horizontal planes.

The apparent naïveté of the drawing contrasts with a highly conscious chromatic construction. The animals stop being mere anecdotal elements of the landscape and become almost totemic figures linked to the rural world, work, resilience, and the austerity of the territory.

Condition

Condition commensurate with its age and with the extremely material nature of the work.

Small losses, abrasions, and localized surface alterations are observed, especially in some overdense areas. The reverse shows perimeter reinforcements and ancient interventions related to mounting.

It is advisable to carefully consult all detail photographs, which form an integral part of the description.

The frame is included as a gift, and thus will not be subject to claim.

Barcelona Art Gallery ships via a professional specialized company, using custom-made boxes and foam protections. Worldwide shipping is available. Any potential surcharges due to oversized formats or certain continental or non-EU destinations will be the responsibility of the buyer.