Carlos Nadal's Fauvist Paintings at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery

Written by Annabel Portillo Sunday, 12 February 2012 20:10

Leeds, UK - The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery at the University of Leeds are pleased to present "Carlos Nadal: Paintings in Yorkshire Collections" from June 7th until Auguist 20th. The exhibition contains a fascinating collection of paintings by Carlos Nadal (1917-1998). The Catalan artist was one of the last ‘Fauvist’ artists with connections to Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, René Magritte, Georges Braque and other major European artists of the twentieth century. The exhibition brings together over 40 paintings and drawings in Yorkshire collections. A range of his favourite subjects will be selected, from rolling green landscapes, lively beach scenes, bold still life and figure studies, or ornate civic buildings – all in executed in his characteristically bold colours, wild brushstrokes and naïve style.

Carlos Nadal, known and admired for his deep vibrant blues and rich reds, once commented in an interview that he discovered colour when he moved to Northern Europe; according to the Catalan artist, in his native southern Spain colour is wiped and bleached by the glare of the sun, and it took the soft light of the North (he lived in Belgium) to reveal its subtlety and nuances for him. Perhaps it was the fine northern light in Yorkshire that captivated his imagination when he travelled to Harrogate for his first retrospective show in England — perhaps it was his love of stunning architectural detail. His paintings of the Royal Pump Room from 1984 show the verve of Nadal’s artistic expression at its best.



Nadal married a young Belgian art student, Flore Joris at the end of the Second World War; they lived between Paris, Brussels and Barcelona. He widely exhibited in Spain, Belgium and France where he received many scholarships and awards, among others ‘Grand Premio de Spa’ in Belgium. He also exhibited at The Royal Academy in London. The travelling artist painted landscapes, cityscapes, studio interiors and beaches across France, Belgium, Moscow and New York. His special relationship with Yorkshire and England started with the 1984 retrospective show in Harrogate, which was followed by commissions for a poster and lithograph for the Harrogate International Festival in 1985, a one-man exhibition in London at the Solomon Gallery in 1987, and further shows in Harrogate and London between 1988 and 1996.

A hidden gem at the heart of the University of Leeds campus, the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery offers both innovative temporary exhibitions and displays treasures from the University Art Collection. Entrance is free for visitors to experience the University’s exceptional art collection. The collection includes stunning examples of European and British painting, drawings and prints, dating from the 17th century up to the present day, as well as small collections of sculpture, ceramics, miniatures and photographs. A new Education Room houses the University's collection of drawings and works on paper, and provides space for educational activities - from University teaching to school and community group activities. The Gallery offers a lively programme of public events - including artist talks, roundtable discussions, and art workshops. Join our mailing list to get invitations to our events and exhibitions. Accumulated over more than a hundred years, the Collection consists mainly of European, principally British paintings, drawings and prints, dating from the 17th century up to the present day, with small collections of sculpture, ceramics, and photographs. Outstanding elements are the Sadler Gift of early 20th-century British art, the collections of drawings and paintings by artists of the Camden Town and Bloomsbury groups and their contemporaries, and works by former Gregory Fellows in Painting and Sculpture, and the recent gift of works from the late Stanley & Audrey Burton’s personal collection of 20th-century British art. The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery was refurbished in 2008 with funds from the Audrey & Stanley Burton Charitable Trust. Visit the museum's website at ... http://www.leeds.ac.uk/gallery

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