Antonio Santos — Amàlia Street — original etching, 2/20

El carrer de Amàlia is an original etching by Antonio Santos, signed and numbered 2/20, depicting a Barcelona street with a distinctive architectural character. The perspective leads the eye between façades, doorways and bare-branched trees towards a vehicle in the distance.

Two human figures introduce a discreet everyday dimension into a scene dominated by stillness and the contrast between light and shadow.

The atmosphere of the urban landscape

The composition evokes the Raval neighbourhood, home to the historic Carrer de la Reina Amàlia. Multi-storey buildings line the street; on the right, a succession of arched entrances follows the pavement.

Leafless trees draw a network of lines across the densely worked sky, while a pedestrian wearing a hat advances in the foreground.

The receding lines of the road, alternating shadows and gradually diminishing buildings create depth and direct the eye towards the centre of the print. The vehicle and passers-by introduce small narrative details without disturbing the overall quiet.

The etching technique

Etching allows a wide range of lines, hatching and tonal qualities through work on a metal plate. Here, Antonio Santos uses hatching to model the façades and shadows and dense stippling to give the sky an overcast atmosphere.

The combination of precise lines and areas of continuous tone gives the urban landscape a distinctive expressiveness.

Antonio Santos (Lupiñén, Huesca, 1955) is a painter, illustrator and author. In 2004 he received second prize in Spain’s national award for children’s and young people’s book illustration for Pancho. His career combines graphic work with other visual disciplines.

The lower margin bears the handwritten title “EL CARRER DE AMALIA”, the numbering 2/20 and the signature “ANTONIO SANTOS”.

Technical details

• Artist: Antonio Santos (Lupiñén, Huesca, 1955).

• Title: El carrer de Amàlia.

• Technique: Original etching on paper.

• Support: Printmaking paper.

• Plate-mark dimensions: Approximately 15 × 12 cm.

• Edition: Impression 2/20.

• Signature and inscriptions: “ANTONIO SANTOS”, “EL CARRER DE AMALIA” and “2/20”, handwritten in the lower margin.

• Condition: Good overall condition, with small foxing spots visible in the lower margin.

The Taller Note

We are particularly interested in how the artist captures the character of a Barcelona street without a crowded scene. The succession of arches, bare branches and densely worked sky creates a recognisable urban atmosphere. The pedestrian and the vehicle in the distance establish scale and a discreet sense of everyday life. The print is engaging for its richness of line, composition and numbering 2/20.