{"product_id":"luis-antonio-bernal-manez-retrato-infantil-introspeccion-figurativa-escuela-valenciana-tecnica-mixta-sobre-papel","title":"LUIS ANTONIO BERNAL MÁÑEZ | CHILD PORTRAIT: FIGURATIVE INTROSPECTION | VALENCIAN SCHOOL | MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER","description":"\u003ch1 data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eLUIS ANTONIO BERNAL MÁÑEZ | CHILD PORTRAIT: FIGURATIVE INTROSPECTION | VALENCIAN SCHOOL | MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003eAn original work by Luis Antonio Bernal Máñez, dated 1957, documenting the evolution of Spanish post-war figuration through a structural use of color and dark lines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003eCURATORIAL HISTORY AND ANALYSIS\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Context of the Valencian School\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eLuis Antonio Bernal Máñez (1924-2010), a figure of notable academic relevance and professor at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts, signed this portrait in 1957. The piece is situated at a key moment in the 1950s, illustrating the transition from traditional easel painting to more expressive avant-garde languages. Bernal Máñez achieves a technical synthesis where the basis of academic drawing merges with a direct application of material, moving away from strictly naturalistic representation to prioritize the subject's introspection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Architecture of Stroke and Chromatic Contrast\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003eVisually analyzing the piece, the emphatic use of dark and gestural outlines that structure the figure stands out, giving it great tectonic solidity against the softness of the model's features. The artist represents the subject in a state of contemplation, with hands clasped, resolving the anatomy with notable geometric stylization. Chromatically, the work is articulated on a strong complementary contrast: the main plane is dominated by the warm and saturated tones of the red clothing, which project strongly visually against a background resolved in cool tones—greens and blues. This juxtaposition generates volume and focuses light directly on the face and hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003eWHY IS THIS PIECE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR COLLECTION?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eAcademic Mastery:\u003c\/b\u003e Bernal Máñez combines prolific production with extensive pedagogical work. His influence on subsequent generations of the Valencian School ensures his historiographical position, providing institutional solidity to his signature within the Spanish art market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eKey Dating (Period of Maturity):\u003c\/b\u003e Explicitly dated 1957, the work documents a year in which the artist consolidated his expressive language. It represents a focus on psychological portraiture, a register highly valued for its striking visual modernity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003ePlastic Power:\u003c\/b\u003e The bold use of the palette and the forcefulness of the dark line give the work a strong magnetism. Its mid-20th-century aesthetic provides an accent of contained avant-garde, ideal for collectors focused on historical figuration and demanding interior design projects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-path-to-node=\"11\"\u003eTECHNICAL SHEET\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"12\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Luis Antonio Bernal Máñez (1924 – 2010).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eTitle \/ Theme:\u003c\/b\u003e Child portrait (Figurative Introspection).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,2,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eYear \/ Period:\u003c\/b\u003e 1957 (Signed and dated \"L BERNAL MAÑEZ 57\").\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,3,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eTechnique and Support:\u003c\/b\u003e Original watercolor and mixed media on paper, worked with thick structured outlines and high chromatic contrasts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,4,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,4,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eDocumented Dimensions:\u003c\/b\u003e 32.5 x 23 cm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,5,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,5,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eStyle \/ Movement:\u003c\/b\u003e Figurative Expressionism \/ Valencian School.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,6,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,6,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/b\u003e Private collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,7,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,7,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/b\u003e Excellent. The support is stable, and the pigments maintain their chromatic intensity, legibility, and original contrast intact, as verified in the photograph.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-path-to-node=\"13\"\u003eTHE WORKSHOP'S NOTE\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"14\"\u003eIn collecting mid-20th century figuration, the differential value lies in finding works that transcend physical resemblance to capture the psychological depth of the model. Bernal Máñez achieves this in this mixed media piece through a decisive hand and audacious chromatism. This portrait is a lesson in structured expressionism; a technically and visually sound acquisition, designed to bring historical weight and character to the walls of a discerning collector.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-path-to-node=\"15\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"16\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"16\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eIncludes Collector's Dossier:\u003c\/b\u003e This work comes with a research study, technical sheet, and curatorial context prepared and printed by El Taller del Coleccionista, certifying our research and known provenance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"El taller del coleccionista","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53493720351053,"sku":null,"price":160.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0904\/1841\/3901\/files\/DSC_0266_03.jpg?v=1772882944","url":"https:\/\/eltallerdelcoleccionista.com\/en\/products\/luis-antonio-bernal-manez-retrato-infantil-introspeccion-figurativa-escuela-valenciana-tecnica-mixta-sobre-papel","provider":"El taller del coleccionista","version":"1.0","type":"link"}