Jesus Fuertes
Encyclopedia
Jesus Fuertes was a cubist
painter also known as the Painter of Blue - an extraordinary artist who has been christened into the world of art by Salvador Dalí
, and who Pablo Picasso
himself recognized as a true genius.
Jean-Paul Sartre
once stated: "To contemplate one of Fuertes' pieces of art is to contemplate beautiful creations of life. The glorious fruits of his labor are not a miracle, but rather the result of the systematic development of his natural talents".
Jesus Fuertes has extensively exhibited solo and in group in museums across the world, and his paintings have been acquired by various museums such as the Queen Sofia of Spain's Museum in Madrid, the Beaux Arts Museum in Brussels, the Contemporary Art Museum in Vienna and the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, Brazil as well as by illustrious figures such as Juan Carlos I and Sofia of Greece and Denmark- His and Her Majesties the King and Queen of Spain -Princess Christina of the Netherlands
, the King and Queen of Belgium, Prince Albert II of Belgium
, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild
, Spanish Ambassador Miguel de Aldasoro, Jacqueline Onassis, Paloma Picasso
, Yves Saint Laurent
, Paco Rabanne
, Francis Ford Coppola
, Roman Polanski
, Sylvester Stallone
, Julio Iglesias
, Mireille Mathieu
, Sara Montiel
, Charles Aznavour
, Sacha Distel
, Capital Bank Founder and President Abel Holtz, Deutsche Bank, Phillips, Boeringer Int., Bayer, Iberia and Sabena Airlines.
Born in Madrid, Spain in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War, Jesus Fuertes was the son of an intellectual and devoted bohemian poet who moved in the same literary circles as the eminent poets Jorge Guillen
and Pedro Salinas
. He also shared great friendships and idealisms with Salvador Dalí
, poet-dramatist Frederico García Lorca and poet and painter Rafael Alberti
. These men thrived on the spiritual richness and the great cultural changes that marked Spain in the 20th Century.
War and political uncertainty in Spain forces the Fuertes family to sought political asylum in France. While in France, his father meets Pablo Picasso
who at that time was involved with a group that helped Spanish artists and intellectuals adjust to life in exile. He begins to frequent symposiums attended by Picasso and they soon become lifelong friends.
In the years that follow, the younger Fuertes would garner the benefits of all the creativity that surrounded him. A naturally gifted artist, he created forms like the ones he was accustomed to seeing in the studios of the Spanish painters in Paris.
At the age of 15, he participates in an art exhibit for the first time - an exposition on Young European Painters held in Berlin. Having acquired a second place prize, Fuertes begins to rank among emerging avant-garde painters of the time.
His first contact with the Surrealistic world is made through Salvador Dalí
, who introduces him to André Breton
, the father of the Surrealistic Movement. The restless spirit of Fuertes, however, makes him receptive to other trends, other movements and quests, attracting the enthusiasm of Pablo Picasso. An assiduous contact between the great master and Fuertes soon develops, thus permitting Fuertes to research the roots of Cubism. This leads him to paint his first Neocubist canvas.
In 1958 he exhibits with Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró
, Antoni Tàpies
and Pablo Picasso at the Bruxelles International Expo, Spanish Pavilion.
In 1963 Fuertes leaves for Rome to receive the first place prize for his painting "Torneo Medieval" awarded by the Grand Prix de Rome
for Painting and Sculpture, and it is in Italy that he develops a close friendship with Giorgio De Chirico
, the renowned master painter of metaphysical art, with whom shortly after he exhibits his work along with notable constructivists and surrealists Balthus
, Umberto Boccioni
and Carlo Carra
in 1965.
On his return to Paris, Fuertes meets Alechinsky, a member of the CoBrA
group (considered the last great avant-garde movement of the century), who with Apel and other artists meets regularly at the celebrated "La Coupole Café". It is at these meetings that Fuertes begins his friendship with the great abstractionist painter Viola
.
In 1967 Salvador Dalí
himself presents Fuertes´exhibition at the Grévin Museum in Paris and in the two years that follow Fuertes exhibits along with Salvador Dalí, René Magritte
, Francis Picabia
, Paul Delvaux
, Félix Labisse
, Man Ray
, Max Ernst
and others. After that, his paintings are extensively exhibited around Europe and the United States.
In 1979 Fuertes moves to São Paulo, Brazil where he develops some audacious coloring expressions - a true representation of one of the first forms of "Tropical Neo-Cubism". There he gains the respect and admiration of local modern art collectors, museums and the general public. Pietro Maria Bardi
, director of the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), stated: "Surprisingly, Jesus Fuertes uses geometric structures not to decompose his compositions but to reorganize his world with order, to recompose remarkable figures, in which the appeal to cubistic treatment expresses irony."
In 1996, Fuertes establishes a studio in Miami, Florida where he lives until his death in June 2006 at the age of 68.
Jesus Fuertes often chose women and cats as his subject matter. Several of his well-known works involve the use of stunning shades of blue, which earned him the moniker "Painter of Blue." But it was the compilation of friends, exposure to great masters and the diversity of experiences he had during his travels along with a deep artistic insight that inspired his wondrous work.
Jesus Fuertes´ lifetime achievements and unique style will inspire artists and people forever.
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
painter also known as the Painter of Blue - an extraordinary artist who has been christened into the world of art by Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
, and who Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
himself recognized as a true genius.
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
once stated: "To contemplate one of Fuertes' pieces of art is to contemplate beautiful creations of life. The glorious fruits of his labor are not a miracle, but rather the result of the systematic development of his natural talents".
Jesus Fuertes has extensively exhibited solo and in group in museums across the world, and his paintings have been acquired by various museums such as the Queen Sofia of Spain's Museum in Madrid, the Beaux Arts Museum in Brussels, the Contemporary Art Museum in Vienna and the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, Brazil as well as by illustrious figures such as Juan Carlos I and Sofia of Greece and Denmark- His and Her Majesties the King and Queen of Spain -Princess Christina of the Netherlands
Princess Christina of the Netherlands
Princess Maria Christina of the Netherlands , Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld, is the youngest of four daughters born to Queen regnant Juliana of the Netherlands and her Prince consort Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld.-Birth:She was born Maria Christina at Soestdijk Palace,...
, the King and Queen of Belgium, Prince Albert II of Belgium
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild
Benjamin de Rothschild
Benjamin de Rothschild is a Swiss banker, the chairman of the Edmond de Rothschild Group, a private bank established by his father and owned by the family...
, Spanish Ambassador Miguel de Aldasoro, Jacqueline Onassis, Paloma Picasso
Paloma Picasso
Anne Paloma Picasso known professionally as Paloma Picasso, is a French/Spanish fashion designer and businesswoman, best known for her jewelry designs and signature perfumes. She is the youngest daughter of famed 20th-century artist Pablo Picasso and painter and writer Françoise Gilot...
, Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent may refer to:* Yves Saint Laurent , French fashion designer* Yves Saint Laurent , a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé...
, Paco Rabanne
Paco Rabanne
Francisco "Paco" Rabaneda Cuervo, more commonly known as Paco Rabanne is a Franco-Spanish fashion designer. He fled Spain for France with his mother when the Spanish Civil War broke out...
, Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
, Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
, Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
, Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
, Mireille Mathieu
Mireille Mathieu
Mireille Mathieu is a French chanteuse, and pop singer. Hailed in the French press as the successor to Édith Piaf, she has achieved great commercial success, recording over 1200 songs in nine different languages, with more than 120 million records sold worldwide.-Childhood to early...
, Sara Montiel
Sara Montiel
Sara Montiel is a Spanish singer, and actress. She is still a much-loved and internationally known name in the Spanish-speaking movie and music industries....
, Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world...
, Sacha Distel
Sacha Distel
Sacha Distel was a French singer and guitarist who had hits with a cover version of the Academy Award-winning "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" , "Scoubidou", and "The Good Life". He was born in Paris.-Career:Sacha Distel, born Alexandre Distel, was a son of Russian White émigré Leonid Distel...
, Capital Bank Founder and President Abel Holtz, Deutsche Bank, Phillips, Boeringer Int., Bayer, Iberia and Sabena Airlines.
Born in Madrid, Spain in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War, Jesus Fuertes was the son of an intellectual and devoted bohemian poet who moved in the same literary circles as the eminent poets Jorge Guillen
Jorge Guillén
Jorge Guillén y Álvarez was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27.-Biography:Jorge Guillén was born in Valladolid. His life paralleled that of his friend Pedro Salinas, whom he succeeded as a Spanish teaching assistant at the Collège de Sorbonne in the University of Paris from 1917 to...
and Pedro Salinas
Pedro Salinas
Pedro Salinas y Serrano was a Spanish poet and member of the Generation of '27. He was also a scholar and critic of Spanish literature, teaching at universities in Spain, England, and the United States....
. He also shared great friendships and idealisms with Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
, poet-dramatist Frederico García Lorca and poet and painter Rafael Alberti
Rafael Alberti
Rafael Alberti Merello was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27....
. These men thrived on the spiritual richness and the great cultural changes that marked Spain in the 20th Century.
War and political uncertainty in Spain forces the Fuertes family to sought political asylum in France. While in France, his father meets Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
who at that time was involved with a group that helped Spanish artists and intellectuals adjust to life in exile. He begins to frequent symposiums attended by Picasso and they soon become lifelong friends.
In the years that follow, the younger Fuertes would garner the benefits of all the creativity that surrounded him. A naturally gifted artist, he created forms like the ones he was accustomed to seeing in the studios of the Spanish painters in Paris.
At the age of 15, he participates in an art exhibit for the first time - an exposition on Young European Painters held in Berlin. Having acquired a second place prize, Fuertes begins to rank among emerging avant-garde painters of the time.
His first contact with the Surrealistic world is made through Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
, who introduces him to André Breton
André Breton
André Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism"....
, the father of the Surrealistic Movement. The restless spirit of Fuertes, however, makes him receptive to other trends, other movements and quests, attracting the enthusiasm of Pablo Picasso. An assiduous contact between the great master and Fuertes soon develops, thus permitting Fuertes to research the roots of Cubism. This leads him to paint his first Neocubist canvas.
In 1958 he exhibits with Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró
Joan Miró
Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona.Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride...
, Antoni Tàpies
Antoni Tàpies
Antoni Tàpies i Puig, 1st Marquess of Tàpies is a Catalan painter. He is one of the most famous European artists of his generation. After studying law for 3 years, he devoted himself from 1943 onwards only to his painting...
and Pablo Picasso at the Bruxelles International Expo, Spanish Pavilion.
In 1963 Fuertes leaves for Rome to receive the first place prize for his painting "Torneo Medieval" awarded by the Grand Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
for Painting and Sculpture, and it is in Italy that he develops a close friendship with Giorgio De Chirico
Giorgio de Chirico
Giorgio de Chirico was a pre-Surrealist and then Surrealist Italian painter born in Volos, Greece, to a Genovese mother and a Sicilian father. He founded the scuola metafisica art movement...
, the renowned master painter of metaphysical art, with whom shortly after he exhibits his work along with notable constructivists and surrealists Balthus
Balthus
Balthasar Klossowski de Rola , best known as Balthus, was an esteemed but controversial Polish-French modern artist....
, Umberto Boccioni
Umberto Boccioni
Umberto Boccioni was an Italian painter and sculptor. Like other Futurists, his work centered on the portrayal of movement , speed, and technology. He was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy.-Biography:...
and Carlo Carra
Carlo Carrà
Carlo Carrà was an Italian painter, a leading figure of the Futurist movement that flourished in Italy during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to his many paintings, he wrote a number of books concerning art. He taught for many years in the city of Milan.-Biography:Carrà was born in...
in 1965.
On his return to Paris, Fuertes meets Alechinsky, a member of the CoBrA
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
group (considered the last great avant-garde movement of the century), who with Apel and other artists meets regularly at the celebrated "La Coupole Café". It is at these meetings that Fuertes begins his friendship with the great abstractionist painter Viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
.
In 1967 Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
himself presents Fuertes´exhibition at the Grévin Museum in Paris and in the two years that follow Fuertes exhibits along with Salvador Dalí, René Magritte
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
, Francis Picabia
Francis Picabia
Francis Picabia was a French painter, poet, and typographist, associated with both the Dada and Surrealist art movements.- Early life :...
, Paul Delvaux
Paul Delvaux
Paul Delvaux was a Belgian painter, associated with Surrealism, famous for his paintings of female nudes.-Biography:...
, Félix Labisse
Félix Labisse
Félix Labisse was a French Surrealist painter, illustrator, and designer.He was born in Marchiennes. He divided his time between Paris and the Belgian coast from 1927. In Ostend he met James Ensor, who influenced his work. Beginning in 1931 he designed for the theater. His paintings depict...
, Man Ray
Man Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
, Max Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
and others. After that, his paintings are extensively exhibited around Europe and the United States.
In 1979 Fuertes moves to São Paulo, Brazil where he develops some audacious coloring expressions - a true representation of one of the first forms of "Tropical Neo-Cubism". There he gains the respect and admiration of local modern art collectors, museums and the general public. Pietro Maria Bardi
Pietro Maria Bardi
Pietro Maria Bardi was the curator of the São Paulo Museum of Art, Brazil. He was born Italian and stirred the Brazilian artistic community with his new ideas about popularizing museums by making both modern and classical art accessible to the masses...
, director of the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), stated: "Surprisingly, Jesus Fuertes uses geometric structures not to decompose his compositions but to reorganize his world with order, to recompose remarkable figures, in which the appeal to cubistic treatment expresses irony."
In 1996, Fuertes establishes a studio in Miami, Florida where he lives until his death in June 2006 at the age of 68.
Jesus Fuertes often chose women and cats as his subject matter. Several of his well-known works involve the use of stunning shades of blue, which earned him the moniker "Painter of Blue." But it was the compilation of friends, exposure to great masters and the diversity of experiences he had during his travels along with a deep artistic insight that inspired his wondrous work.
Jesus Fuertes´ lifetime achievements and unique style will inspire artists and people forever.
Awards
- 1953 Second place prize at the Young European Painters Exposition in Berlin
- 1963 Grand Prix de RomePrix de RomeThe Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
for Painting and Sculpture. First place prize for his painting "Torneo Medieval"
Exhibitions
- 1953 - Young European Painters International Show, Berlin, Germany
- 1954 - Saya Gallery, Lille, France
- 1955 - Brachot Gallery, Bruxelles, Belgium
- 1956 - New Tendencies, Le Petite Gallery, Paris, France
- 1957 - Bateauivre Gallerie, Paris, France, with Bernard Buffet
- 1958 - Bruxelles International Expo, Spanish Pavilion, Exhibited with Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies and Pablo Picasso
- 1959 - Gallery at the Hotel Saint Regis, New York
- 1960 - Magnus Gallery, Perpignan, France
- 1961 - Escrigit Gallery, Amberes, Belgium
- 1962 - Euroart Gallery, Paris, France
- 1964 - Simon Swartz Gallery, Switzerland
- 1965 - Circo Gallery, Rome, Italy, with notable constructivists and Italian surrealists Baltazar Baltrus, Umberto Boccioni, De Chirico and Carlo Carra
- 1966 - Luigi Amasso Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1967 - Grévin Museum, Paris, France, exhibition presented by Salvador Dalí
- 1968 - Massey Museum, Tarbes, France with Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Francis Picabia and others
- 1968 – San Antonio International Art Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas
- 1969 - Knokke Casino, Belgium, group exhibition with surrealists Magritte, Del Vaux, Labisse, Man Ray, Max Ernst and others
- 1972 - Katya Granoff Gallery, Paris, France
- 1974 - Naharro Gallery, Zaragoza, Spain
- 1976 - Sala Galderes, Barcelona, Spain
- 1977 - Luigi Amasso Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1980 – São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, São Paulo, Brazil
- 1981 - Museum of Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- 1984 - Spanish Embassy in Brasília, Brazil
- 1985 - Embassy Gallery, Miami, Florida
- 1987 - Halos Gallery, Marseille, France
- 1988 - Museum of Modern Art in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 1989 - Clicler Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 1990 - Gallery of the Hotel El Camino Real, Mexico City, Mexico
- 1991 - Art Miami, Miami, Florida
- 1992 - South Western Gallery, Miami, Florida
- 1993 - Osaka Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- 1994 - Vanidades Gallery, Miami, Florida
- 1995 - Art Miami, Miami, Florida
- 2000 – Artelenium Gallery: Barcelona, Spain, with Miró and Picasso
- 2000 - New York, exhibition sponsored by Plácido Domingo and Mayor Giuliani
- 2003 – Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid, Spain, "Quijote in Miami" painting