Arte Romera - Ysabel Martínez Valiente - Sculpture, Abrazo al Viento - 31 cm - Cold Cast with Patinated Bronze - 1991

A evocative Spanish sculpture from 1991 in which the richness of the handmade finish (PAINTED BY HAND as indicated by the label under its plinth) and the expressiveness of the embrace turn an intimate scene into a universal representation of affection and protection. Especially attractive for preserving together the signature, date, Arte Romera mark, original label, and marble pedestal.

Elegant Spanish figurative sculpture produced by Arte Romera in 1991, signed with the initials Y.M., attributed to the sculptor and modeler Ysabel Martínez Valiente, professionally linked to the Valencian firm.

The work depicts a young couple fused in an intimate embrace. It is not a theatrical or overly gestural scene: the sculptor concentrates all attention on the contact between the two figures. The woman rests her head on her partner while encircling his body with her arms; he gently tilts his face toward her and holds her between his hands. The result conveys protection, serenity, affection, and complicity, turning a everyday scene into a composition of marked sensitivity.

One of the piece’s most attractive aspects is the detailed treatment of the surfaces. The faces and arms feature relatively soft modeling, while the hair and garments are worked through deep reliefs, folds, seams, and textures. Small details such as pockets and seams of the trousers, the shoes, the creases of the shirt, the fall of the dress, and the individual position of the fingers can be appreciated.

The sculpture is made using cold cast technique, employing a resin composite with mineral filler that allows for great definition and a substantial sense of weight. It was subsequently hand-finished with a bronze-looking patina, combining green, brown, and copper tones that particularly highlight the higher-relief areas and give the piece a bronze aged appearance.

This technique is especially suitable for a work of this nature, as it preserves with high precision the traces of the original modeling and allows for a surface richness difficult to achieve with conventional decorative materials.

The whole rests on a solid rectangular marble pedestal, whose light tone elegantly contrasts with the dark patina of the figures and provides stability and presence to the composition.

The piece retains numerous elements that allow proper documentation. On the base itself is the Arte Romera mark, the date 1991, Spanish origin, and the signature Y.M. In addition, the underside of the pedestal retains its original Arte Romera label, with indications of Spanish manufacture and handmade finish.

The Y.M. signature is attributed to Ysabel Martínez Valiente, a Spanish sculptor and modeler professionally associated with Arte Romera. The presence of an individual signature together with the manufacturer's mark is especially interesting, as it allows understanding the piece not merely as a decorative object of serial production, but as the result of a sculptural model conceived by an author and subsequently produced and finished by the house.

Dating from 1991, it belongs to the early years of Arte Romera’s consolidation as a Spanish firm specialized in sculpture and artistic decoration.

The work is in excellent overall condition. No breaks, significant losses, or visible restorations are noted. The delicate elements of the figures — fingers, arms, hair, clothing, and extremities — remain complete. It also retains its decorative patina and the original marble pedestal.

In view of its dimensions, about 31 cm in height, and its considerable weight of 2.250 kg, it has a notable presence both as a collectible sculpture and as a decorative piece.

An especially representative work of late 20th-century Spanish figurative sculpture, combining romantic modeling, artisanal finish, author’s signature, documented date, identified manufacture, and original marble pedestal.

Artwork data
Author attributed: Ysabel Martínez Valiente
Manufacture: Arte Romera
Country: Spain
Date: 1991
Descriptive title: Couple of lovers / Embrace
Material: resin composition with mineral filler using cold cast technique, with bronze-looking patina
Pedestal: marble
Height: approximately 31 cm
Weight: approximately 2.250 kg
Signature: Y.M.
Marked: Arte Romera, Spain, 1991
Original label: Arte Romera – painted/hand-finished – Made in Spain
Condition: excellent state of conservation