Blonde Art Tip: Enrique Grau

Colombia’s Caribbean coast works its magic again! Yep, what a contribution that part of the world has made to Colombian creativity. Enrique Grau (1920-2004) was born in Panama to Colombian parents but raised in Cartagena. He did study in New York and spend time in Italy but soon returned to that magical city. He died in Bogotá at the grand old age of 83.

What about the work? In terms of subject choice, you can draw parallels with Botero because you’ll find an array of Colombian characters here and some of them, such as Joven con Paraguas, even garnish their sad, wistful expressions with a bit of extra weight. But that’s where the similarities end. There is real emotional intensity to Grau’s work.

Is the coastal influence obvious? I think it is. Besides his gorgeous paintings of Cartagena itself, Grau’s most widely recognised piece is probably La Mulata Cartagenera. You will definitely recognise her. Also check out some of his works that feature birds – if you take a look at those and watch a certain Alfred Hitchcock movie, you may never visit Cartagena again.

♥

The Bogotá Blonde

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