José María Guerrero Medina — Figure in half-light — Etching and aquatint (17/20)

This print by José María Guerrero Medina depicts an interior built through an intense contrast between light and shadow. A woman sits in a high-backed armchair beside a window partly covered by a curtain. Light from outside illuminates her face, hands and certain folds of her clothing, while the rest of the room remains in deep darkness.

The composition is distinguished by its treatment of black surfaces, traversed by a meticulous network of lines, unprinted areas and tonal variations. Etching and aquatint articulate the outlines of the furniture, the texture of the fabrics and the varying intensities of light. A small vessel on a piece of furniture at the right completes the scene and contributes to its balance.

The figure’s withdrawn attitude forms the emotional centre of the composition. Her stillness contrasts with the graphic complexity of the surroundings, creating an introspective image close to the themes of solitude, memory and the human condition found throughout much of Guerrero Medina’s work.

About the artist

José María Guerrero Medina (La Guardia, Jaén, 1942) is a Spanish painter, draughtsman, printmaker and sculptor associated with the Catalan art scene. Largely self-taught, he developed a personal language close to expressionist Neo-Figuration, with particular attention to the human figure and its psychological dimension.

His career encompasses intimate figures and scenes, reinterpretations of the pictorial tradition and compositions connected with historical memory and exile. His work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions, including El meu compromís, presented by Fundació Vila Casas in Barcelona in 2020.

Technical details

• Artist: José María Guerrero Medina (1942).
• Title: Figure in half-light (descriptive title).
• Technique: Intaglio print: etching and aquatint.
• Support: Printmaking paper with deckle edges.
• Dimensions: 65 × 50 cm (sheet).
• Edition: Copy 17/20.
• Signature: Signed in pencil “Guerrero M.” at the lower right.
• Inscriptions: Pencil numbering at the lower left and an additional handwritten inscription below the composition.
• Date: Undated.
• Condition: Retains the original paper margins, with a small tear at the right edge outside the printed area and slight signs of wear associated with the support.

The Taller Note

The strength of this print lies in the relationship between the motionless figure and the surrounding space. Deep blacks, light concentrated on the face and hands, and the quiet presence of the furniture turn a domestic scene into a composition of marked psychological intensity. The numbering 17/20 identifies the copy within a limited edition of twenty prints. The pencil signature and wide paper margins complete the material characteristics of this graphic work.