Manolo Valdés selected by Versailles Enchères (not by Franco!)

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

In the last years of Franco, a group of young artists from Madrid inspired by pop art tries to protest against the regime. Of this movement called Equipo Crónica, the best known is Manolo Valdés.

Later his work combines the effects of textures with homages to the masters, and especially to Henri Matisse. Thus, Matisse como pretexto is the title of an important set of works. A copy of 1999, 200 x 146 cm, is estimated 250 K € by Versailles Enchères, at Versailles on July 5. This is a mixed media on canvas: oil, textile, collage and assemblage of burlap. A female face with severe look is cut in two by a median, but no detail is visible in the dark blue right side.

Of similar design, another face made the following year, 231 x 191 cm, this time divided into four parts, was sold 330 K € hammer price by the same auction house one year ago, July 6 2008.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Unsold. Compared with the result of last year, the estimate had seemed relevant.