Julio Castillo (1928–1985) - Face Among the Embers
03
days
18
hours
31
minutes
42
seconds
Current bid
€ 10
Reserve price not met
8 other people are watching this object
 Bidder 5684 | €10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Bidder 5684 | €1 |
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 122529 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Face Among the Embers, oil painting from 1970–1980, Colombia, sold with frame.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Face among the embers
Technical sheet
Author: Julio Castillo (1928–1985)
Chronology: Second half of the 20th century
Technique: oil on canvas
Measurements: 40 × 30 cm
Support: Canvas stretched over a frame
Signature: Signed 'Castillo 74' in the lower right corner.
A black lacquered carved wood frame, with elegant depth, featuring incised and stepped motifs that enhance the drama of the portrait.
Condition: Very good, with original fillings and authentic patina.
2. Compositional and iconographic description
The portrait features a frontal, penetrating close-up where the artist fixes the viewer with an intense and almost challenging gaze. The powerful expressive charge is sustained by the masterful use of thick impasto, characteristic of Julio Castillo, which models the face through a nearly sculptural material vibration.
The background, resolved with irregular textures and a warm palette of ochres and siennas, suggests a scorched, intimate, almost telluric space from which the figure emerges with an introspective strength.
The energetic, broken, and pasty brushstroke recalls the gestural style of José Luis Cuevas and the emotional density of Lucian Freud, while maintaining Castillo's very personal signature: an expressive, intense, and psychological figuration.
3. Style, Context, and Artistic Valuation
Julio Castillo is one of the most singular figures in contemporary Mexican painting, associated with an expressionist figuration where portraiture becomes an act of inner revelation.
This canvas, dated 1974, belongs to his period of greatest maturity, when his stroke becomes more violent and authentic.
His approach to the human face aligns him with highly valued artists such as Rufino Tamayo in his chromatic dimension, or Francis Bacon in his psychological density, though without falling into extreme deformation: here, the face retains a powerful humanity.
The work stands out for its strong presence, magnetism, and narrative ability, becoming an excellent example of the 20th-century Latin American expressionist portrait, of great interest to specialized collectors.
Seller's Story
At Barcelona Art Gallery, we are a large family of art collectors in Barcelona who have been acquiring all kinds of paintings for 2 centuries.
Headquartered in the Les Corts neighborhood of Barcelona.
We offer part of our private collection for auction: high period and modern paintings that we have been acquiring over time, mainly from art galleries, antique dealers, auctions, private collections and very diverse origins.
Translated by Google TranslateFace among the embers
Technical sheet
Author: Julio Castillo (1928–1985)
Chronology: Second half of the 20th century
Technique: oil on canvas
Measurements: 40 × 30 cm
Support: Canvas stretched over a frame
Signature: Signed 'Castillo 74' in the lower right corner.
A black lacquered carved wood frame, with elegant depth, featuring incised and stepped motifs that enhance the drama of the portrait.
Condition: Very good, with original fillings and authentic patina.
2. Compositional and iconographic description
The portrait features a frontal, penetrating close-up where the artist fixes the viewer with an intense and almost challenging gaze. The powerful expressive charge is sustained by the masterful use of thick impasto, characteristic of Julio Castillo, which models the face through a nearly sculptural material vibration.
The background, resolved with irregular textures and a warm palette of ochres and siennas, suggests a scorched, intimate, almost telluric space from which the figure emerges with an introspective strength.
The energetic, broken, and pasty brushstroke recalls the gestural style of José Luis Cuevas and the emotional density of Lucian Freud, while maintaining Castillo's very personal signature: an expressive, intense, and psychological figuration.
3. Style, Context, and Artistic Valuation
Julio Castillo is one of the most singular figures in contemporary Mexican painting, associated with an expressionist figuration where portraiture becomes an act of inner revelation.
This canvas, dated 1974, belongs to his period of greatest maturity, when his stroke becomes more violent and authentic.
His approach to the human face aligns him with highly valued artists such as Rufino Tamayo in his chromatic dimension, or Francis Bacon in his psychological density, though without falling into extreme deformation: here, the face retains a powerful humanity.
The work stands out for its strong presence, magnetism, and narrative ability, becoming an excellent example of the 20th-century Latin American expressionist portrait, of great interest to specialized collectors.
Seller's Story
At Barcelona Art Gallery, we are a large family of art collectors in Barcelona who have been acquiring all kinds of paintings for 2 centuries.
Headquartered in the Les Corts neighborhood of Barcelona.
We offer part of our private collection for auction: high period and modern paintings that we have been acquiring over time, mainly from art galleries, antique dealers, auctions, private collections and very diverse origins.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Artist
Julio Castillo (1928–1985)
Sold with frame
Yes
Sold by
Gallery
Edition
Original
Title of artwork
Face Among the Embers
Technique
Oil painting
Signature
Hand signed
Country of Origin
Colombia
Condition
Good condition
Height
63 cm
Width
56 cm
Weight
5 kg
Depiction/Theme
Portrait
Style
Realism
Period
1970-1980
Sold by
