Spanish contemporary school (XX) - Symphony of bodies in transparency

Symphony of Bodies in Transparency

Contemporary Spanish School (1960s–1980s)

Mixed media on canvas · 100 x 80 cm

Technical sheet

Symphony of Bodies in Transparency
Contemporary Spanish School (attributable to the Basque/Madrid environment, second half of the 20th century)
Chronology: circa 1970–1990
Technique: Mixed on canvas (fluid painting similar to gouache/watercolor + expressive line in oil/acrylic)
Measurements: 102 × 83 cm
Signed: Arrue?
Support: raw canvas with visible texture.
Style: Neo-figurative expressionism with Fauvist and pop influences.
Condition: Excellent; bright colors, firm fabric, and stable surface.

2. Compositional and iconographic description

The work presents a choreography of overlapping female nudity, executed with expressive gestures that envelop the canvas in a vibrant rhythm.

The figures, drawn with quick, continuous lines, unfold in transparent layers reminiscent of Egon Schiele's emotional drawing and Klimt's study notes, while the vibrant palette — greens, yellows, pinks, and blues — evokes the luminous spontaneity of French Fauvism.

The background is built as a dynamic field of watery stains and colorful glazes, typical of lyrical expressionism, where bodies merge and separate in an atmosphere that oscillates between the dreamlike and the sensual.

The composition is a mosaic of female poses resolved with great freshness and contemporaneity, bringing its spirit closer to Spanish artists of the New Figuration, such as Arranz-Bravo, Saura, or the Catalan School of Color.

3. Style, Context, and Artistic Valuation

The piece is fully aligned with Spanish neo-figurativism from the 70s to 90s, a period when many artists reclaimed the figure through gesture, color, and emotion, after decades dominated by abstraction.

The free line, the polyphonic structure, and the superposition of figures connect with the tradition of European expressionist drawing, while also adopting a visual language very close to the pop and psychedelic currents of the period.

The result is a highly expressive, modern, and unique work that converges references to Matisse, Dufy, Nolde, Schiele, and contemporary Spanish figuration.

Its large format, visual energy, and richness of its mixed technique make it a piece with a strong decorative presence and notable collector's interest within modern figurative art.