Sainsbury Art Centre, Norwich- Antonio Saura

Antonio Saura

Shroud
Antonio Saura
1963
Oil on Canvas

 This painting was really effective. What helped was the way that it was lighted in the gallery. The use of thick paint and thin paint makes the shroud an object. He seems to have mixed paint on the surface of the canvas, maybe via a pallette knife due to the broad strokes of paint. But also around the edge he has taken away the paint to expose the canvas, highlighting the shroud.
The colours are earthy and they all seem to blend together nicely. The smooth background with the shroud in the centre is an effective composition as it singles out the object and makes it seem important.

Detail from image above

He could be related to Frank Auerbach and William De Kooning due to his technique of applying the oil paint. He also produced this piece around the same time as these two artists. It can be related to my artwork as I was experimenting with the layering of paint and the removal to create an interesting surface.