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Lot Essay
Torero calvo (1928) was painted two years after Berni's arrival in Paris as part of a series of oil canvases influenced by Surrealism. By then, Berni's painting had already evolved from plein air compositions, in the style of the post-impressionists; into themes that were aesthetically engaged with the vanguard movements of the time. It is no surprise that as part of a group of young artists in Paris that included Badi, Basaldúa, Pisarro, and Morera amongst others, Berni's first years where ones of experimentation in all the 'isms'. Finally, along with Spilimbergo, with whom he shared an affinity for the precepts of Surrealism, Berni's painting began to adhere to the models of the Italian metaphysical school resulting in works where architectural elements frame the pictorial space.
Torero calvo is in fact one of the first accomplished works in Berni's European style. The work was executed after a series of minor paintings in which the artist explored the visual power of free association by creating collages and photomontages without logical readings. Richly dressed with the characteristic "traje de luces," Berni's matador is situated in an elaborate "stage". An artificial landscape serves the dual purpose of background and theatrical scenery while the elaborate architectural elements of the balcony-painted in the manner of French metaphysic painters like De Chirico, frame, along with a heavy green curtain, the figure of this proud but not very glamorous character. Bold and heavy, torero is depicted in a rather realist style that contrasts with the histrionic background, a strategy which marks all of Berni's artistic production from this early period on.
1928, the year when Torero calvo was painted, also marked an important step in the evolution of Surrealism. In March of this year, the Second Surrealist manifest written by Breton was published in the Surrealist Revolution Newspaper headed by Pierre Naville and Benjamín Peret. Like the first one, the manifest called for a revision of painting, where the motives would be solely based on interior and primal forces, or run the risk of becoming absent. As a movement, Surrealism extended far beyond painting. By the late 20s, it had become evocative of a whole generation of thinkers greatly dissatisfied with the prospects and harsh realities left behind by the Great War. Creative alliances between writers, poets, and film directors were common endeavors. Some of these resulted in famous films that speak of the dreams, fantasies and desires of an entire era. An example of these collaborations is the one between Dalí and Buñuel who produced the now classic film: El perro andaluz in 1928.
Torero calvo belongs to this marvelous period of automatic associations and fantastic imagery. Though highly successful, Berni's original enthusiasm for Surrealist painting was soon replaced by the critical realism and political ideology that emerged in Argentina as a result of social revolts and a depressed economic atmosphere prevalent throughout the 1930s. These new concerns are evident in oils such as manifestación (1934), Los desocupados (1935) and chacareros (ca. 1936), all painted upon Berni's return to Argentina in 1930. Unlike the imaginary Torero calvo, these latter compositions witness the birth of "a compromise" with the people, a new term in Berni's artistic vocabulary and one that would become synonymous with his artistic production hereafter.
We are grateful to M.A. and C.B. for their assistance in writing this essay.
Torero calvo is in fact one of the first accomplished works in Berni's European style. The work was executed after a series of minor paintings in which the artist explored the visual power of free association by creating collages and photomontages without logical readings. Richly dressed with the characteristic "traje de luces," Berni's matador is situated in an elaborate "stage". An artificial landscape serves the dual purpose of background and theatrical scenery while the elaborate architectural elements of the balcony-painted in the manner of French metaphysic painters like De Chirico, frame, along with a heavy green curtain, the figure of this proud but not very glamorous character. Bold and heavy, torero is depicted in a rather realist style that contrasts with the histrionic background, a strategy which marks all of Berni's artistic production from this early period on.
1928, the year when Torero calvo was painted, also marked an important step in the evolution of Surrealism. In March of this year, the Second Surrealist manifest written by Breton was published in the Surrealist Revolution Newspaper headed by Pierre Naville and Benjamín Peret. Like the first one, the manifest called for a revision of painting, where the motives would be solely based on interior and primal forces, or run the risk of becoming absent. As a movement, Surrealism extended far beyond painting. By the late 20s, it had become evocative of a whole generation of thinkers greatly dissatisfied with the prospects and harsh realities left behind by the Great War. Creative alliances between writers, poets, and film directors were common endeavors. Some of these resulted in famous films that speak of the dreams, fantasies and desires of an entire era. An example of these collaborations is the one between Dalí and Buñuel who produced the now classic film: El perro andaluz in 1928.
Torero calvo belongs to this marvelous period of automatic associations and fantastic imagery. Though highly successful, Berni's original enthusiasm for Surrealist painting was soon replaced by the critical realism and political ideology that emerged in Argentina as a result of social revolts and a depressed economic atmosphere prevalent throughout the 1930s. These new concerns are evident in oils such as manifestación (1934), Los desocupados (1935) and chacareros (ca. 1936), all painted upon Berni's return to Argentina in 1930. Unlike the imaginary Torero calvo, these latter compositions witness the birth of "a compromise" with the people, a new term in Berni's artistic vocabulary and one that would become synonymous with his artistic production hereafter.
We are grateful to M.A. and C.B. for their assistance in writing this essay.