Rafael Zabaleta Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Rafael Zabaleta Art Value Price Guide

Feb. 11, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA - The view from the Tournelle bridge
Est: -
RAFAEL ZABALETA Jaén 1907-1960 The view from the Tournelle bridge Ink on paper Signed, titled and dedicated Measurements 27 x 33 cm
Subastas Segre
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Landscape of Zújar", 1938. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in Guzmán Pérez 79, page 129. Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Est: €15,000 - €18,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Landscape of Zújar", 1938. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in Guzmán Pérez 79, page 129. Signed and dated in the lower right corner. Measurements: 70 x 90 cm; 81,5 x 102 cm (frame). In this work the artist presents us a landscape conceived with a sober chromatism, based on the interrelation of the greens with the pink lands, being the passages in charge of the ochers and soft violets, which in turn contrast without stridencies. The technique is very direct, incorporating the color on wet in the primary stain and in semi-wet afterwards. The work of realistic connotations is close to the postulates of the Vallecas School, showing a special interest in the telluric. It is worth mentioning that the work goes beyond the purely pictorial, awakening a certain nostalgia or emotion linked to the biography of the artist, who portrays the bridge of Zújar, being this one of the places he crossed, when he finished his mission in the civil war. Born in the bosom of a well-to-do family, Rafael Zabaleta manifested his love for painting since he was a child, so after finishing his high school studies he moved to Madrid and entered, in 1925, the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (San Fernando School of Fine Arts). There he will have as teachers Lainez Alcalá, Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo, and in 1932 he participates for the first time in a group exhibition, that of the students of San Fernando. One of his works, entitled "La pareja," was selected to illustrate the critical review that Manuel Abril made for the magazine "Blanco y Negro". Three years later Zabaleta made his first trip to Paris, where he met and studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasure, and also around this time he began a series of drawings on the Civil War. At the end of the war he was denounced, and briefly spent time in the concentration camp of Higuera de Calatrava and in Jaen prison, where his two albums of drawings made during the war were seized. Finally released, in 1940 he settles in Madrid, where he attends the gatherings at the Café Gijón and draws and paints at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Two years later he visits Aurelio Biosca, director of the Madrid gallery Biosca, with a letter of introduction from the sculptor Manolo Hugué. There he held his first individual exhibition that same year, after being rejected at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he participates in the First Salón de los Once and becomes a member of the Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte de Eugenio d'Ors, to which Biosca also belonged. Zabaleta will take part in most of his Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 Zabaleta participates in the group show "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continues to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in the capital. In 1947 he holds his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos Gallery, and his first monograph is published. Two years later he travels again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration will be 1951, when he holds a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he obtained the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. That same year he participates in the Biennial of the Mediterranean held in Alexandria, and holds a solo exhibition in Bilbao. During his last years Zabaleta will be an artist already fully recognized, invited to the most important exhibitions and salons both in Spain and in foreign cities of the importance of Paris. The most important collection of his work is in the Zabaleta Museum of Quesada, although it is also present in the most prestigious museums of the world, in cities such as Buenos Aires, New York or Tokyo. Work reproduced in Guzmán Pérez 79, p. 129.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960) "Fauna of Cazorla", 1958. Oil on canvas. Measurements: 130 x 97 cm; 152 x 117,5 cm (frame). Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, pp. 384-385.
Est: €60,000 - €70,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960) "Fauna of Cazorla", 1958. Oil on canvas. Measurements: 130 x 97 cm; 152 x 117,5 cm (frame). Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, pp. 384-385. Presents labels on the back of various exhibitions. Condition: The work is in good general condition, although the frame has minor damage. This work, entitled "Fauna de Cazorla", is a masterful example of the unique and deeply personal style of Rafael Zabaleta, who is considered one of the great references of 20th century Spanish painting. In this oil painting, executed in 1958, Zabaleta captures with extraordinary visual force the natural and faunal richness of the Cazorla Natural Park, capturing both the biodiversity and the vibrant essence of the Andalusian landscape. The painting highlights the precision and expressiveness of the animal figures, in which the penetrating gaze of the lynx or the balance of the mountain goat are presented as the protagonists of an environment animated by a luminous chromatic palette full of hallmarks. The treetops, which seem to radiate light in their circular forms, and the textures of the rocks, resolved with angular and broken strokes, reveal the profound influence of Cézanne in his search for formal synthesis. Zabaleta manages to combine in this work two of the most representative facets of his artistic production: his interest in a post-cubist language, which here translates into a geometric and harmonic fragmentation of the landscape, and a sensitivity towards detail and the essence of the natural environment that connects him with the avant-garde legacy. In addition, the painting has an important exhibition history, as attested by the labels on the back, including its participation in the exhibition "Pintura Española Siglo XX" organized by the Ministry of Culture in 1978 and presented at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City, among other outstanding exhibitions in galleries such as Laieiana, Macarrón and Biosca. "Fauna de Cazorla" is not only a piece of exceptional technical and artistic quality, but also a testimony of Zabaleta's deep bond with his native land and his ability to translate that connection into a universal and modern language. An essential jewel for collectors and lovers of 20th century Spanish art. Born in Quesada (Jaén) into a wealthy family, Rafael Zabaleta is one of the great references of 20th century Spanish painting. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, he had as teachers figures such as Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo. In 1932 he participated in his first group exhibition, and three years later he traveled to Paris, where he studied the great contemporary masters. After the Civil War, during which he made a remarkable series of drawings, Zabaleta overcame difficult times to definitively establish himself in the 1950s. In 1951 he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and, in 1955, he received the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. During his career, he participated in important salons and exhibitions both in Spain and abroad, highlighting his connection with Paris and his friendship with artists such as Picasso. Zabaleta developed a unique pictorial language, in which he combined avant-garde influences with a deep connection to his native Quesada, which he captured in landscapes and rural scenes full of expressive force. His work, recognized for its vibrant color and formal synthesis, is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Still life". Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, p. 282- 283. Signed in the lower left corner. Measurements: 61 x 50 cm; 77,5 x 66,5 cm (frame).
Est: €22,000 - €24,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Still life". Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, p. 282- 283. Signed in the lower left corner. Measurements: 61 x 50 cm; 77,5 x 66,5 cm (frame). This still life is a magnificent representation of Rafael Zabaleta's mastery of composition and the expressive use of color and pictorial matter. It is a work of great plastic intensity, where the solidity of the volumes and the sobriety of the scene evoke the tradition of the Spanish still life, reinterpreted under a personal aesthetic that combines realism and modernity. The painting presents us with a rustic table on which are arranged elements of everyday life: a piece of bread, a ceramic jug, a glass bottle, an egg and a crumpled cloth. The architectural background, with a wooden railing and a small window allowing light to enter, reinforces the depth of the space, while a drawing of a female figure on the wall introduces a subtle nod to the human presence in the scene. The chromatic range, dominated by earthy, ochre and dark green tones, together with the use of thick, impastoed brushstrokes, give the composition an air of gravity and mystery. The light, worked with a precise modeling, generates strong hallmarks that emphasize the volumetry of the objects, achieving a sober atmosphere of great expressive force. This still life is an excellent example of the fusion between traditional Spanish painting, with references such as Zurbarán or Sánchez Cotán, and the contemporary sensibility of the artist, marked by his admiration for the avant-garde and his exploration of post-cubism and expressionism. Rafael Zabaleta, born in Quesada (Jaén) into a well-to-do family, is one of the great references of 20th century Spanish painting. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, he had as teachers figures such as Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo. In 1932 he participated in his first group exhibition, and three years later he traveled to Paris, where he studied the great contemporary masters. After the Civil War, during which he made a remarkable series of drawings, Zabaleta overcame difficult times to definitively establish himself in the 1950s. In 1951 he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and, in 1955, he received the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. During his career, he participated in important salons and exhibitions both in Spain and abroad, highlighting his connection with Paris and his friendship with artists such as Picasso. Zabaleta developed a unique pictorial language, in which he combined avant-garde influences with a deep connection to his native Quesada, which he captured in landscapes and rural scenes full of expressive force. His work, recognized for its vibrant color and formal synthesis, is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Still life of the window", 1954. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, p. 204-205. Signed. Measurements: 50 x 60 cm; 69 x 80 cm (frame).
Est: €26,000 - €28,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Still life of the window", 1954. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, p. 204-205. Signed. Measurements: 50 x 60 cm; 69 x 80 cm (frame). This exceptional Still Life of the window constitutes a paradigmatic sample of the pictorial universe of Rafael Zabaleta, fusing the traditional genre of the still life with his unmistakable modern and expressive vision. The composition is articulated around a rustic table on which fruits, vegetables and popular pottery are arranged, while an open window frames the mountainous landscape of his homeland, Quesada. The expressive force of the painting lies in its extraordinary chromatic richness and in the very personal geometrization of the forms. The contrast between the landscape background, with its loose and vibrant brushstrokes, and the wall of geometric tiles creates a play of planes and textures that reinforces the sensation of depth and dynamism. Color is employed here with exceptional boldness, combining a palette of warm and cool tones that give the whole a vibrant, almost dreamlike atmosphere. The earthy and orange tones of the landscape dialogue with the greens and blues of the still life, while the gridded pattern of the background provides a visual rhythm that recalls the cubist influence in the artist's work. In this work, Zabaleta synthesizes his double artistic vocation: on the one hand, his attachment to popular iconography and the representation of his environment; on the other, his affiliation with the historical avant-garde and his particular assimilation of post-cubism and Fauvism. The brushstroke is firm, structural, but at the same time loose and vibrant, endowing the pictorial surface with a rich and material texture. Rafael Zabaleta, born in Quesada (Jaen) in a wealthy family, is one of the great references of Spanish painting of the twentieth century. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, he had as teachers figures such as Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo. In 1932 he participated in his first group exhibition, and three years later he traveled to Paris, where he studied the great contemporary masters. After the Civil War, during which he made a remarkable series of drawings, Zabaleta overcame difficult times to definitively establish himself in the 1950s. In 1951 he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and, in 1955, he received the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. During his career, he participated in important salons and exhibitions both in Spain and abroad, highlighting his connection with Paris and his friendship with artists such as Picasso. Zabaleta developed a unique pictorial language, in which he combined avant-garde influences with a deep connection to his native Quesada, which he captured in landscapes and rural scenes full of expressive force. His work, recognized for its vibrant color and formal synthesis, is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Orchard and market gardeners", 1949. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, p. 452-453. Signed.
Est: €32,000 - €35,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Orchard and market gardeners", 1949. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, p. 452-453. Signed. The work is in good condition, retaining its vibrant chromatism and the energy of his original brushstrokes. Measurements: 65 x 81 cm: 78.5 x 95 cm (frame). "Huerta y hortelanos" is a magnificent representation of the rural scenes that marked Rafael Zabaleta's stylistic development in the 1940s. This work reflects the artist's deep connection with his native land, Quesada, through a composition that combines traditional costumbrismo with a modern treatment of forms and color. In this oil painting, Zabaleta portrays a group of peasants working in the orchard, surrounded by a vibrant and dynamic landscape that evokes the richness of Andalusian nature. The human figures, solid and expressive, are framed in a landscape that stands out for its chromatic intensity and geometric structure, with a clear influence of Cézanne and the avant-garde pictorial language that the artist assimilated during his travels and studies. This work is an excellent example of the period in which Zabaleta began to consolidate his own style, fusing the Spanish rural tradition with the currents of modernity. Although it belongs to a moment prior to his definitive consecration in the 50's, "Huerta y hortelanos" already demonstrates the sensitivity and technical mastery that characterize the work of this painter. Rafael Zabaleta, born in Quesada (Jaen) in a wealthy family, is one of the great references of the Spanish painting of the twentieth century. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, he had as teachers figures such as Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo. In 1932 he participated in his first group exhibition, and three years later he traveled to Paris, where he studied the great contemporary masters. After the Civil War, during which he made a remarkable series of drawings, Zabaleta overcame difficult times to definitively establish himself in the 1950s. In 1951 he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and, in 1955, he received the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. During his career, he participated in important salons and exhibitions both in Spain and abroad, highlighting his connection with Paris and his friendship with artists such as Picasso. Zabaleta developed a unique pictorial language, in which he combined avant-garde influences with a deep connection to his native Quesada, which he captured in landscapes and rural scenes full of expressive force. His work, recognized for its vibrant color and formal synthesis, is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Untitled. Paris, 1950. Ink on paper. Signed, dated, located and dedicated in the lower area. Measurements: 31 x 24 cm; 45 x 38 cm (frame).
Est: €1,800 - €2,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Untitled. Paris, 1950. Ink on paper. Signed, dated, located and dedicated in the lower area. Measurements: 31 x 24 cm; 45 x 38 cm (frame). This ink on paper drawing, dated 1950 in Paris, represents an exceptional facet of Rafael Zabaleta's artistic universe. Created during his stay in the French capital, this work shows the profound influence of the European avant-garde on his artistic language. The composition, with a firm and decisive stroke, shows a still life with elements arranged on a table, framed by a rich and vibrant decorative background of oriental inspiration, possibly a carpet or a tapestry, where geometric and ornamental patterns take center stage. The work exhibits a masterful balance between the structural rigor of cubism and the expressive freedom of drawing, with a play of intertwined lines that generate a vibrant atmosphere. The stylization of the forms, with a nervous and schematic line, refers to the plastic experimentation of Picasso and the spontaneity of Miró, although always under Zabaleta's personal prism, where formal synthesis coexists with a marked expressiveness. The still life, a recurrent genre in the history of art, is reinterpreted here with a modern freshness, eliminating any reference to chiaroscuro or volumetric modeling in favor of an essentially graphic conception. The presence of everyday objects - bottles, cups, jugs and textiles - takes on an almost symbolic quality, evoking the essence of domestic life with a sensibility that transcends simple representation. The inscription and dedication at the bottom reinforce the personal dimension of this piece, which not only functions as a testimony of the artist's aesthetic thinking during this period, but also as a manifestation of his network of relationships in the Parisian artistic and cultural context. Rafael Zabaleta, born in Quesada (Jaén) into a wealthy family, is one of the great references of 20th century Spanish painting. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, he had as teachers figures such as Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo. In 1932 he participated in his first group exhibition, and three years later he traveled to Paris, where he studied the great contemporary masters. After the Civil War, during which he made a remarkable series of drawings, Zabaleta overcame difficult times to definitively establish himself in the 1950s. In 1951 he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and, in 1955, he received the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. During his career, he participated in important salons and exhibitions both in Spain and abroad, highlighting his connection with Paris and his friendship with artists such as Picasso. Zabaleta developed a unique pictorial language, in which he combined avant-garde influences with a deep connection to his native Quesada, which he captured in landscapes and rural scenes full of expressive force. His work, recognized for its vibrant color and formal synthesis, is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). Untitled. Ink on paper. Signed in the middle right area. Measurements: 28,5 x 21,5 cm; 49 x 42 cm (frame).
Est: €1,800 - €2,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). Untitled. Ink on paper. Signed in the middle right area. Measurements: 28,5 x 21,5 cm; 49 x 42 cm (frame). This ink drawing on paper is a piece of great interest within Rafael Zabaleta's work on paper, a less frequent facet in his career but of enormous expressive and conceptual value. In it, the artist develops a language based on geometric abstraction and figurative stylization, configuring a dynamic universe where line and structural rhythm acquire absolute protagonism. The whole is composed of interconnected forms that evoke anthropomorphic figures and mechanical elements, in a sort of dance that recalls both cubist imagery and constructive abstraction. The firm lines and hallmarks between the deep black and white of the paper give the work a vibrant energy, reflecting Zabaleta's mastery in the synthesis of forms. From a compositional point of view, the piece plays with an unstable balance, where the figures seem to intertwine in an almost architectural structure. This dynamism refers to the influence of the European avant-garde, particularly the Picasso language and the plastic experimentation of artists such as Joan Miró. However, the direct line and the forcefulness of the design maintain the essence of Zabaleta's style, characterized by its expressiveness and evocative character. Rafael Zabaleta, born in Quesada (Jaén) in a wealthy family, is one of the great references of Spanish painting of the twentieth century. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, he had as teachers figures such as Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo. In 1932 he participated in his first group exhibition, and three years later he traveled to Paris, where he studied the great contemporary masters. After the Civil War, during which he made a remarkable series of drawings, Zabaleta overcame difficult times to definitively establish himself in the 1950s. In 1951 he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and, in 1955, he received the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. During his career, he participated in important salons and exhibitions both in Spain and abroad, highlighting his connection with Paris and his friendship with artists such as Picasso. Zabaleta developed a unique pictorial language, in which he combined avant-garde influences with a deep connection to his native Quesada, which he captured in landscapes and rural scenes full of expressive force. His work, recognized for its vibrant color and formal synthesis, is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Landscape", c. 1948- 1949- 1949- Oil on thick cardboard glued to board. Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, p. 382-383 (ref 188.b).
Est: €4,000 - €4,500
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Landscape", c. 1948- 1949- 1949- Oil on thick cardboard glued to board. Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, p. 382-383 (ref 188.b). Measurements: 19 x 25 cm; 25.5 x 32 cm (frame). Born in the bosom of a well-to-do family, Rafael Zabaleta manifested his fondness for painting since he was a child, so after finishing his high school studies he moved to Madrid and entered, in 1925, the San Fernando School of Fine Arts. There he will have as teachers Lainez Alcalá, Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo, and in 1932 he participates for the first time in a group exhibition, that of the students of San Fernando. One of his works, entitled "La pareja," was selected to illustrate the critical review that Manuel Abril made for the magazine "Blanco y Negro". Three years later Zabaleta made his first trip to Paris, where he met and studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasure, and also around this time he began a series of drawings on the Civil War. At the end of the war he was denounced, and briefly spent time in the concentration camp of Higuera de Calatrava and in Jaen prison, where his two albums of drawings made during the war were seized. Finally released, in 1940 he settles in Madrid, where he attends the gatherings at the Café Gijón and draws and paints at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Two years later he visits Aurelio Biosca, director of the Madrid gallery Biosca, with a letter of introduction from the sculptor Manolo Hugué. There he held his first individual exhibition that same year, after being rejected at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he participates in the First Salón de los Once and becomes a member of the Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte de Eugenio d'Ors, to which Biosca also belonged. Zabaleta will take part in most of his Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 Zabaleta participates in the group show "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continues to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in the capital. In 1947 he holds his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos Gallery, and his first monograph is published. Two years later he travels again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration will be 1951, when he holds a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he obtained the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. That same year he participates in the Biennial of the Mediterranean held in Alexandria, and holds a solo exhibition in Bilbao. During his last years Zabaleta will be an artist already fully recognized, invited to the most important exhibitions and salons both in Spain and in foreign cities of the importance of Paris. The most important collection of his work is in the Zabaleta Museum of Quesada, although it is also present in the most prestigious museums of the world, in cities such as Buenos Aires, New York or Tokyo. Work reproduced in the Catalogue Raisonné of Mª de Guzmán, p. 382-383 (ref 188.b).
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960) "Peasants". Oil on canvas Work reproduced in: Guzmán, M., Rafael Zabaleta, Estudio Calcográfico. Oil and watercolors, 1952, pp. 68-69 and 70. Label on the back of the Biosca Gallery (Madrid).
Est: €44,000 - €48,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960) "Peasants". Oil on canvas Work reproduced in: Guzmán, M., Rafael Zabaleta, Estudio Calcográfico. Oil and watercolors, 1952, pp. 68-69 and 70. Label on the back of the Biosca Gallery (Madrid). Slight damage to the frame. Measurements: 100 x 81 cm; 120 x 100 cm (frame) The present piece, Campesinos (Peasants), is a vibrant testimony of the rural iconography that defines the production of Rafael Zabaleta, one of the most outstanding figures of 20th century Spanish painting. The work is inscribed in the post-cubist aesthetic with an exacerbated expressionism, where the deformation of the figures, the monumentality of the characters and the chromatic intensity evidence a deep identification with his native land, Quesada. In this canvas, Zabaleta gives voice to the rural workers, representing them with a sculptural solidity and a forceful stroke that reinforces its character as a social print. The use of split profiles and angular faces recalls the influence of Picasso's cubism and Fauvism, while the composition emphasizes the sense of community and resistance. The hallmarks of the work are the hallmarks of the contrasts between warm and cold tones, as well as the thick texture of the brushwork, elements that reinforce the energy and drama of the scene. The provenance of the work is equally remarkable, as it has a label from the Biosca Gallery, one of the most influential in promoting the Spanish avant-garde of the mid-twentieth century. Likewise, its inclusion in Manuel Guzmán's monograph confirms its relevance within Zabaleta's pictorial corpus. Rafael Zabaleta, born in Quesada (Jaén) in a well-to-do family, is one of the great references of Spanish painting in the 20th century. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, he had as teachers figures such as Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo. In 1932 he participated in his first group exhibition, and three years later he traveled to Paris, where he studied the great contemporary masters. After the Civil War, during which he made a remarkable series of drawings, Zabaleta overcame difficult times to definitively establish himself in the 1950s. In 1951 he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and, in 1955, he received the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. During his career, he participated in important salons and exhibitions both in Spain and abroad, highlighting his connection with Paris and his friendship with artists such as Picasso. Zabaleta developed a unique pictorial language, in which he combined avant-garde influences with a deep connection to his native Quesada, which he captured in landscapes and rural scenes full of expressive force. His work, recognized for its vibrant color and formal synthesis, is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "The slaughterer, 1951. Oil on canvas. Provenance: Private collection of the writer Camilo José Cela. It has slight damage to the frame. Measurements: 100 x 81 cm; 103 x 84 cm (frame).
Est: €40,000 - €45,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "The slaughterer, 1951. Oil on canvas. Provenance: Private collection of the writer Camilo José Cela. It has slight damage to the frame. Measurements: 100 x 81 cm; 103 x 84 cm (frame). It has an exhibition label on the back, indicating the origin. Work collected in: FARALDO, R., Spectacle of Spanish painting. Stork. Madrid. 1953. -GUZMÁN PÉREZ, M., Rafael Zabaleta. Intaglio study: oils and watercolors. Deputation of Jaén. Instituto de Estudios Giennenses, 2010. P 66-67.Fig. 287. -AA.VV., Zabaleta Homage, page 192. -D'ORS, E., R. Zabaleta, number 15 (reproduced). -D'ORS, E., Goya, Picasso and Zabaleta, page 170 (reproduced). -Faraldo, R., The spectacle of painting..., page 44 (reproduced). -GAYA NUÑO, J.A., La pintura española de medio..., page 301 (reproduced). -GUZMÁN, M., Catalogación..., number 282, page 447. -GUZMÁN, M., La pintura de R. Zabaleta, pages 382- 383. -SÁNCHEZ CAMARGO, M., "La gran exposición...," (reproduced). Work exhibited in: -Syra, Barcelona, 1952, number 18. -Museum of the Park, Bilbao, 1955, number 21. -Art and work, Charleroi, 1958, number 103. -Dirección General de bellas Artes, Madrid, 1961, number 53 (reproduced in catalog). "El matarife" is one of Rafael Zabaleta's most striking and expressive compositions, a masterpiece of Hispanic expressionism that encapsulates his particular vision of the harshness of rural labor. The scene, set inside a butcher's shop, confronts the viewer with a crude and symbolic image: a slaughterer holds the open body of a pig in a hieratic attitude, while a woman, dressed in typical rural garb, wields a knife in an attitude of continuing the work. The composition is doubly significant: the male figure and the animal, practically fused in a visual symbiosis, create a symmetrical arrangement that emphasizes the drama of the image. At the same time, the woman and the butcher's tools form a pyramidal structure, generating a compositional tension that reinforces the expressiveness of the whole. From the technical point of view, Zabaleta develops here his characteristic energetic and schematic stroke, with emphatic volumes and a palette dominated by reds, yellows and ochers, which contrast with the grayish greens of the clothes. The vibrant brushstroke, applied with strength and decision, allows the color to remain fresh and dynamic on the canvas, creating a pictorial surface of great visual power. The symbolism of the work is undeniable: beyond the simple representation of a traditional trade, El matarife explores the relationship between the human being and his environment, the rawness of physical labor and the inevitable presence of death as part of existence. Its execution in 1951, a key moment in the artist's career, reinforces its importance within Zabaleta's pictorial corpus. Its inclusion in important national and international exhibitions, as well as its provenance from the collection of the Nobel Prize winner Camilo José Cela, gives this piece an added value in terms of historicity and rarity in the market. Rafael Zabaleta is one of the most singular painters of the Spanish 20th century. His training at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid, and his subsequent trip to Paris, allowed him to absorb the influences of cubism and expressionism, developing his own style in which the geometrization of forms and the use of vibrant color became signs of identity. Throughout his career, Zabaleta exhibited in important international competitions, including the Venice Biennial and the Hispano-American Biennial, winning the prestigious UNESCO Prize in 1955. His work can be found in renowned museums and collections in cities such as Buenos Aires, New York and Tokyo, as well as occupying a prominent place in the Zabaleta Museum in Quesada. With a relatively scarce production due to his early death in 1960, Zabaleta's works have gained increasing recognition in the art market, consolidating themselves as pieces of great historical and artistic value. El matarife represents a unique opportunity to acquire one of his most emblematic works, in which the expressive force of his style and his commitment to the representation of life and work in his native land converge. His work, recognized for its vibrant color and formal synthesis, is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "San Sebastian Beach", 1950s. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in the catalog of the artist by María Guzmán Pérez, p. 243. Signed in the lower right corner.
Est: €30,000 - €32,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "San Sebastian Beach", 1950s. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in the catalog of the artist by María Guzmán Pérez, p. 243. Signed in the lower right corner. Measurements: 60,5 x 50 cm; 77 x 66 cm (frame). This piece, Playa de San Sebastián, is an exceptional example of Rafael Zabaleta's most lyrical and evocative side, where the sea and the light become the protagonists. The scene, dominated by a terrace next to the bay of San Sebastian, displays a composition rich in geometric and chromatic nuances, with a dynamic balance between the figures and the architectural elements. The painting stands out for its complex spatial structure, in which Zabaleta plays with superimposed planes that defy traditional perspective, achieving a vibrant and almost dreamlike depth. The atmosphere is framed in a bold chromatic palette, where bluish and greenish tones dialogue with pink and violet accents, creating an effect of unreal and poetic luminosity. The female figures that inhabit the scene are treated with the characteristic elegance of the artist, showing a stylization of features reminiscent of the influence of cubism and expressionism. The use of the black outline, which defines the volumes and shapes, reinforces the compositional structure and gives a distinctive stamp to the work. The multicolored umbrella, the central element, acts as a visual axis that vertebrates the composition, while introducing an element of chromatic vibration, immersing the viewer in an atmosphere of calm and coastal hedonism. The presence of this work in María Guzmán Pérez's catalog underlines its relevance within the artist's pictorial corpus, being a key piece in his production of maritime scenes. Its exquisite workmanship and stylistic maturity place it among Zabaleta's most refined creations, making it an exceptional opportunity for collectors and investors in modern Spanish art. Rafael Zabaleta is one of the most singular figures of 20th century Spanish art. Trained at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid and with important influences from European cubism and post-expressionism, he developed his own pictorial language where the geometrization of forms and the use of color became his main signs of identity. His career was consolidated from the 40s and 50s, participating in national and international exhibitions, such as the Venice Biennial and the Hispano-American Biennial, where he won the prestigious UNESCO Prize in 1955. His work can be found in important private collections and museums around the world, including the Zabaleta Museum in Quesada, as well as in institutions in Buenos Aires, New York and Tokyo. With a relatively scarce production due to his early death in 1960, Zabaleta's works have been gaining increasing recognition in the art market, consolidating themselves as pieces of great historical and artistic value. His work is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others. This work, with its vibrant composition and refined aesthetic, represents a unique opportunity to acquire a work by one of the most personal and innovative artists of 20th century Spanish painting.
Setdart Auction House
Jan. 29, 2025
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Night of cats", 1958. Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower right corner. Measurements: 100 x 81 cm; 124 x 105 cm (frame). Work exhibited
Est: €50,000 - €55,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Night of cats", 1958. Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower right corner. Measurements: 100 x 81 cm; 124 x 105 cm (frame). Work exhibited in: - Madrid, Dirección General de Bellas Artes, Rafael Zabaleta, 1959, n. 14, illustrated in the catalog. - Venice, XXX Biennale di Venezia, 1960. - Madrid, Urbis Club, 1961, n. 6. Work published in: -AUTOMÓVIL CLUB BRITÁNICO. VV., R. Zabaleta , Madrid, 1961, illustrated. -Juan Eduardo Cirlot, El arte del siglo XX, vol. II, illustrated p. 523. -María Guzmán Pérez, Catalogación de la producción artística Zabaletiana , Granada, 1983, n. 420, pp. 721-722. -María Guzmán Pérez, The painting of Rafael Zabaleta, Granada, 1983, p. 410. -María Guzmán Pérez, Rafael Zabaleta. Catalographic study. Óleos y acuarelas , ed. Diputación de Jaén, 2010, n. 428, p. 388, not illustrated. State of conservation: The painting is presented in good general condition, preserving intact its visual and chromatic power. "Night of Cats" is one of only three known oil paintings by Zabaleta where cats are the absolute protagonists. In this composition, Zabaleta displays his technical mastery and his ability to reinterpret nature with a profoundly modern gaze. The three felines are grouped in a bold triangular arrangement, achieving a perfect balance that recalls the influence of Picasso, an unavoidable reference in his career. The expressive force of the work is reflected in the cats' wild and penetrating eyes, in contrast with a vibrant and geometric nocturnal landscape that encapsulates the characteristic atmosphere of his native Quesada. The chromatic decomposition and the almost mathematical structuring of the background give the scene a unique dynamism, making it an essential piece in the artist's production. This work stands out not only for its aesthetic quality, but also for its exhibition trajectory, having been selected for the prestigious Venice Biennale of 1960, a milestone in the career of any artist. Furthermore, its inclusion in multiple specialized publications and in Zabaleta's catalogs raisonné reinforces its position as a key work in his legacy. "Noche de gatos" is not only an exceptional example of Zabaleta's creative genius, but also a testament to his ability to transcend the boundaries between the local and the universal, dialoguing with the international artistic currents of his time while maintaining a deep bond with his homeland. Rafael Zabaleta, born in Quesada (Jaén) into a well-to-do family, is one of the great references of 20th century Spanish painting. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, he had as teachers figures such as Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo. In 1932 he participated in his first group exhibition, and three years later he traveled to Paris, where he studied the great contemporary masters. After the Civil War, during which he made a remarkable series of drawings, Zabaleta overcame difficult times to definitively establish himself in the 1950s. In 1951 he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and, in 1955, he received the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. During his career, he participated in important salons and exhibitions both in Spain and abroad, highlighting his connection with Paris and his friendship with artists such as Picasso. Zabaleta developed a unique pictorial language, in which he combined avant-garde influences with a deep connection to his native Quesada, which he captured in landscapes and rural scenes full of expressive force. His work, recognized for its vibrant color and formal synthesis, is represented in important institutions such as the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), the Zabaleta-Miguel Hernández Museum (Quesada, dedicated to his legacy), and in prestigious international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Mexico, among others.
Setdart Auction House
Dec. 10, 2024
Rafael Zabaleta. Still life
Est: -
Ink on paper. Signed at the bottom center.
Duran Arte y Subastas
Oct. 22, 2024
Raphael Zabaleta. nudes
Est: -
Double-sided ink drawing on paper. Stains on the back.
Duran Arte y Subastas
Oct. 15, 2024
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "The slaughterer", 1949. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in GUZMÁN PÉREZ, "Rafael Zabaleta. Catalographic Study.
Est: €30,000 - €40,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "The slaughterer", 1949. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in GUZMÁN PÉREZ, "Rafael Zabaleta. Catalographic Study. Oil paintings". Diputación de Jaén, 2010, p. 478. -Exhibitions: Colegio de Arquitectos, Barcelona, 1965 (col. relation, the current one). Caja de Madrid, Barcelona and Madrid 1986, number 37 (reproduced in catalog, page 69). -Bibliography: GUZMÁN, M., Catalogación..., number 233, pages 370-371. GUZMÁN, M., La pintura de R. Zabaleta, page 374. Signed in the lower left corner. Measurements: 81 x 65 cm; 97 x 82 cm (frame). Following the words of the Catalog regarding this painting, the artist"presents us with a frontal composition, staging in a small enclosure the open figure of a cow; hanging by the hind legs and open in channel, behind which appears the butcher wielding the knife. It uses a frontal perspective, marking the interior space, in which governs a distributive system determined by bilateral symmetry, according to which a perpendicular axis divides it into two equal parts. It is set in warm colors, highlighting the reds of the flesh to contrast with the greenish gray environment and uses the ocher and earth passages, all of them very nuanced. The volumes are resolved with great amplitude. The inexpression of the character stands out in the painting, rigid and hieratic, without any gesticulation, he appears as another element, without the action that could be derived from his protagonism. This is a thematic first, which he returns to on two other occasions; Matarife, 1951 and Carnicero, 1957. Its remote precedent, as far as the theme is concerned, is to be found in Rembrandt and close to Solana. A work in which he links an environmental and local theme treated with the plastic language of modernity, in which inclinations towards Fauve and expressionist poetics are pointed out". Chromatically the pictorial surface is dominated by reds, pinks and yellows that contrast with the greens, the latter of low tone and grayish. The color extends without emerging on the surface of the canvas, remaining definitively exposed at the first intention, so that the pictorial matter remains fresh and fluid. The work represents Zabaletian painting and defines by itself the Hispanic expressionism, with a lot of Fauvism and clear cubist connotations. Born into a wealthy family, Rafael Zabaleta showed his love for painting since he was a child, so after finishing his high school studies he moved to Madrid and entered, in 1925, in the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. There he will have as teachers Lainez Alcalá, Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo, and in 1932 he participates for the first time in a group exhibition, that of the students of San Fernando. One of his works, entitled "La pareja," was selected to illustrate the critical review that Manuel Abril made for the magazine "Blanco y Negro". Three years later Zabaleta made his first trip to Paris, where he met and studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasure, and also around this time he began a series of drawings on the Civil War. At the end of the war he was denounced, and briefly spent time in the concentration camp of Higuera de Calatrava and in Jaen prison, where his two albums of drawings made during the war were seized. Finally freed, in 1940 he settles in Madrid, where he attends the gatherings at the Café Gijón and draws and paints at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Two years later he visits Aurelio Biosca, director of the Madrid gallery Biosca, with a letter of introduction from the sculptor Manolo Hugué. There he held his first individual exhibition that same year, after being rejected at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he participates in the First Salón de los Once and becomes a member of the Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte de Eugenio d'Ors, to which Biosca also belonged. Zabaleta will take part in most of his Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 Zabaleta participates in the group show "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continues to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in the capital. In 1947 he holds his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos Gallery, and his first monograph is published. Two years later he travels again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration will be 1951, when he holds a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he was awarded the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. That same year he participates in the Biennial of the Mediterranean held in Alexandria, and holds a solo exhibition in Bilbao. During his last years Zabaleta will be an artist already fully recognized, invited to the most important exhibitions and salons both in Spain and in foreign cities of the importance of Paris. The most important collection of his work is in the Zabaleta Museum of Quesada, although it is also present in the most prestigious museums of the world, in cities such as Buenos Aires, New York or Tokyo. Work reproduced in GUZMÁN PÉREZ, "Rafael Zabaleta. Catalographic Study. Oil paintings". Diputación de Jaén, 2010, p. 478. -Exhibitions: Colegio de Arquitectos, Barcelona, 1965 (col. relation, the current one). Caja de Madrid, Barcelona and Madrid 1986, number 37 (reproduced in catalog, page 69). -Bibliography: GUZMÁN, M., Catalogación..., number 233, pages 370-371. GUZMÁN, M., The painting of R. Zabaleta, page 374.
Setdart Auction House
Sep. 12, 2024
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Female portrait". Ink and pencil drawing on paper. Signed in the lower right corner. Provenance: Biosca Gallery (1975). The paper has stains.
Est: €1,200 - €1,500
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Female portrait". Ink and pencil drawing on paper. Signed in the lower right corner. Provenance: Biosca Gallery (1975). The paper has stains. Measurements: 33 x 24 cm; 53 x 44 cm (frame). Rafael Zabaleta studied in the Superior School of Fine Arts of San Fernando, and in 1932 he participates for the first time in a collective exhibition, the one of the students of this school. Three years later he made his first trip to Paris, where he met and studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasury. At the end of the war he was imprisoned, after which he settled in Madrid in 1940. Two years later he held his first solo exhibition at the Biosca Gallery in the capital, after being rejected at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he took part in the First Salón de los Once and became a member of the Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte de Eugenio d'Ors, taking part in most of its Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 he takes part in the collective exhibition "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continues to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in Madrid. In 1947 he holds his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos Gallery, and his first monograph is published. Two years later he travels again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration will be 1951, when he holds a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he obtained the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. That same year he participates in the Biennial of the Mediterranean held in Alexandria, and holds a solo exhibition in Bilbao. During his last years Zabaleta will be an artist already fully recognized, invited to the most important exhibitions and salons both in Spain and in foreign cities of the importance of Paris. The most important collection of his work is in the Zabaleta Museum of Quesada, although it is also present in the most prestigious museums of the world, in cities such as Buenos Aires, New York or Tokyo.
Setdart Auction House
Sep. 12, 2024
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Camposanto", ca. 1953. Oil on canvas adhered to board. Signed in the lower right corner. Bibliography: - GUZMAN, M., Cataloging, number 322, page 529.
Est: €8,500 - €10,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Camposanto", ca. 1953. Oil on canvas adhered to board. Signed in the lower right corner. Bibliography: - GUZMAN, M., Cataloging, number 322, page 529. - GUZMÁN, M., The painting of R. Zabaleta, page 391. Measurements: 34 x 40 cm; 50.5 x 58.5 cm (frame). Rafael Zabaleta was an extremely versatile painter, capable of developing in parallel a post-cubist work in which the image is fragmented evoking colorful stained glass windows and, at the same time, an apparently traditional landscape painting, but in which the avant-garde legacy can be appreciated. To this second group belongs the landscape of the Castilian countryside that we are dealing with. The brushstrokes here are protean: they metamorphose into circles to represent the iridescent tops of the trees, in broken strokes across the fields... The influence of Cézanne also beats in the essentialist and synthetic reduction of nature. "In the foreground, he depicts an almost flat field, covered with grass, enclosed by a wall and with its access gate. Some tiny crosses can be seen dotted, and, immediately behind, the terrain begins to rise until it ends in the fiery mountains that barely allow the sky to be seen. He interprets the mosaic of plots combining the most varied greens with Venetian reds, placing the dark, very fallen, in the last term. The inclination of the planes in the farmland and the orographic features can be distinguished with precision. A sketch with great expressive force, with a clear Fauvist tendency, in which the simplicity and monumental size of its forms stand out", it is stated in the artist's Catalogue Raisonné. Born into a wealthy family, Rafael Zabaleta showed his love for painting since he was a child, so after finishing his high school studies he moved to Madrid and entered, in 1925, the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. There he will have as teachers Lainez Alcalá, Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo, and in 1932 he participates for the first time in a group exhibition, that of the students of San Fernando. One of his works, entitled "La pareja," was selected to illustrate the critical review that Manuel Abril made for the magazine "Blanco y Negro". Three years later Zabaleta made his first trip to Paris, where he met and studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasure, and also around this time he began a series of drawings on the Civil War. At the end of the war he was denounced, and briefly spent time in the concentration camp of Higuera de Calatrava and in Jaen prison, where his two albums of drawings made during the war were seized. Finally freed, in 1940 he settles in Madrid, where he attends the gatherings at the Café Gijón and draws and paints at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Two years later he visits Aurelio Biosca, director of the Madrid gallery Biosca, with a letter of introduction from the sculptor Manolo Hugué. There he held his first individual exhibition that same year, after being rejected at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he participates in the First Salón de los Once and becomes a member of the Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte de Eugenio d'Ors, to which Biosca also belonged. Zabaleta will take part in most of his Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 Zabaleta participates in the group show "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continues to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in the capital. In 1947 he holds his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos Gallery, and his first monograph is published. Two years later he travels again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration will be 1951, when he holds a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he obtained the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. That same year he participates in the Biennial of the Mediterranean held in Alexandria, and holds a solo exhibition in Bilbao. During his last years Zabaleta will be an artist already fully recognized, invited to the most important exhibitions and salons both in Spain and in foreign cities of the importance of Paris.
Setdart Auction House
May. 23, 2024
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). Untitled, 1955. Ink on paper. Presents informative label of the Biosca Gallery (Madrid) on the back.
Est: €1,000 - €1,400
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). Untitled, 1955. Ink on paper. Presents informative label of the Biosca Gallery (Madrid) on the back. It has paper tear in the middle of the right side. Signed, dated and dedicated to Campoy. Measurements: 49 x 34 cm; 68 x 57 cm (frame). Born in the bosom of a wealthy family, Rafael Zabaleta already manifests since childhood his fondness for painting, so after finishing his high school studies he moves to Madrid and enters, in 1925, in the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. There he will have as teachers Lainez Alcalá, Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo, and in 1932 he participates for the first time in a group exhibition, that of the students of San Fernando. One of his works, entitled "La pareja," was selected to illustrate the critical review that Manuel Abril made for the magazine "Blanco y Negro". Three years later Zabaleta made his first trip to Paris, where he met and studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasure, and also around this time he began a series of drawings on the Civil War. At the end of the war he was denounced, and briefly spent time in the concentration camp of Higuera de Calatrava and in Jaen prison, where his two albums of drawings made during the war were seized. Finally freed, in 1940 he settles in Madrid, where he attends the gatherings at the Café Gijón and draws and paints at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Two years later he visits Aurelio Biosca, director of the Madrid gallery Biosca, with a letter of introduction from the sculptor Manolo Hugué. There he held his first individual exhibition that same year, after being rejected at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he participates in the First Salón de los Once and becomes a member of the Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte de Eugenio d'Ors, to which Biosca also belonged. Zabaleta will take part in most of his Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 Zabaleta participates in the group show "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continues to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in the capital. In 1947 he holds his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos Gallery, and his first monograph is published. Two years later he travels again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration will be 1951, when he holds a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he was awarded the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. It has a paper tear in the middle of the right side.
Setdart Auction House
May. 23, 2024
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Still life of the fruit vendor", 1941. Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower left corner.
Est: €18,000 - €20,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Still life of the fruit vendor", 1941. Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower left corner. This work appears in a photograph of Cesáreo Rodríguez-Aguilera (friend and biographer of Zabaleta) taken in his house in Barcelona. Work verified by the Zabaleta Museum. Work referenced in Rafael Zabaleta's autographic relation where it is even indicated to whom it is sold. Exhibitions: - Biosca, Madrid, 1942, number 1. - Argos, Barcelona, 1947, number 12. Bibliography: - Guzmán, M. "Catalogación...", n. 78, pp. 107-108. - Guzmán, M. "La pintura de R. Zabaleta", p. 304. Measurements: 50 x 61 cm; 70 x 81 cm (frame). Rafael Zabaleta was an extremely versatile painter, capable of developing in parallel a work of cubist heritage in which the image is fragmented evoking colorful stained glass windows and, at the same time, an apparently traditional style but in which the avant-garde legacy can be appreciated. This second case occurs in the painting we are bidding for, of which María Guzmán Pérez, the greatest expert in Zabaleta's pictorial work, states that "it lacks all perspective, whose superimposed objects totally cover the pictorial space. The primary scheme is built by an oval and a rhombus, making the axes of both coincide. The drawing is very simple, the forms being insinuated by a dark line that draws them, with no other purpose than to make them recognizable". Born into a well-to-do family, Rafael Zabaleta showed his love for painting as a child, so after finishing his high school studies he moved to Madrid and entered, in 1925, the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. There he will have as teachers Lainez Alcalá, Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo, and in 1932 he participates for the first time in a group exhibition, that of the students of San Fernando. One of his works, entitled "La pareja," was selected to illustrate the critical review that Manuel Abril made for the magazine "Blanco y Negro". Three years later Zabaleta made his first trip to Paris, where he met and studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasure, and also around this time he began a series of drawings on the Civil War. At the end of the war he was denounced, and briefly spent time in the concentration camp of Higuera de Calatrava and in Jaen prison, where his two albums of drawings made during the war were seized. Finally freed, in 1940 he settles in Madrid, where he attends the gatherings at the Café Gijón and draws and paints at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Two years later he visits Aurelio Biosca, director of the Madrid gallery Biosca, with a letter of introduction from the sculptor Manolo Hugué. There he held his first individual exhibition that same year, after being rejected at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he participates in the First Salón de los Once and becomes a member of the Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte de Eugenio d'Ors, to which Biosca also belonged. Zabaleta will take part in most of his Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 Zabaleta participates in the group show "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continues to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in the capital. In 1947 he holds his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos Gallery, and his first monograph is published. Two years later he travels again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration will be 1951, when he holds a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he was awarded the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. That same year he participates in the Biennial of the Mediterranean held in Alexandria, and holds a solo exhibition in Bilbao. During his last years Zabaleta will be an artist already fully recognized, invited to the most important exhibitions and salons both in Spain and in foreign cities of the importance of Paris.
Setdart Auction House
Feb. 15, 2024
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (196-1960). "LANDSCAPE".
Est: €4,000 - €12,000
Oil on canvas adhered to cardboard. Signed. 32 x 40 cm; 47.5 x 55.5 cm (frame). Zabaleta's painting is framed within Spanish expressionist realism, clearly influenced by the School of Paris and authors such as Cezanne, Matisse or Picasso in the use of color and the distortion of forms, creating a personal language with which to represent, as Camilo José Cela said "the multiple and luminous Spains that only fit in very wide palettes and in very well organized heads". (Collected from the article "Quesada-Madrid-París" by Cela, published in the newspaper "Arriba" on February 14, 1951).
Subarna Subastas
Dec. 19, 2023
RAFAEL ZABALETA Quesada, Jaen (1907) / (1960) "Female Nudes", 1950
Est: €1,350 - €1,800
Inks on paper Signed and dated in the lower left corner Measurements: 34 x 24 cm
Ansorena
Oct. 05, 2023
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (196-1960). "LANDSCAPE".
Est: €7,000 - €12,000
Oil on canvas adhered to cardboard. Signed. 32 x 40 cm; 47.5 x 55.5 cm (frame). Zabaleta's painting is framed within Spanish expressionist realism, clearly influenced by the School of Paris and authors such as Cezanne, Matisse or Picasso in the use of color and the distortion of forms, creating a personal language with which to represent, as Camilo José Cela said "the multiple and luminous Spains that only fit in very wide palettes and in very well organized heads". (Collected from the article "Quesada-Madrid-París" by Cela, published in the newspaper "Arriba" on February 14, 1951).
Subarna Subastas
Oct. 04, 2023
RAFAEL ZABALETA Quesada, Jaen (1907) / (1960) "Landscape"
Est: €3,600 - €4,800
Oil on cardboard attached to board Signed in the lower left corner Measurements: 19 x 25.5 cm
Ansorena
Sep. 28, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. female nude
Est: -
Ink drawing on paper. Inscription on the back. Provenance: - Cesáreo Rodríguez-Aguilera Conde (Stamp on the back). - Private collection.
Duran Arte y Subastas
Sep. 28, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. nudes
Est: -
Ink drawing on both sides on paper.
Duran Arte y Subastas
Sep. 28, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. pediment game
Est: -
Ink drawing on paper. Inscription on the back. Provenance: - Cesáreo Rodríguez-Aguilera Conde (Stamp on the back). - Private collection.
Duran Arte y Subastas
Jun. 28, 2023
Maternidad (Maternity)
Est: £60,000 - £80,000
Property from the Family of the Artist Rafael Zabaleta 1907 - 1960 Maternidad (Maternity) signed RZabaleta (lower right) oil on canvas 100 by 81 cm. 39⅜ by 31⅞ in. Framed: 104.5 by 85.5 cm. 41⅛ by 33⅝ in. Executed in 1955.
Sotheby's
Jun. 21, 2023
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (196-1960). "LANDSCAPE".
Est: €10,000 - €15,000
Oil on canvas adhered to cardboard. Signed. 32 x 40 cm; 47.5 x 55.5 cm (frame). Zabaleta's painting is framed within Spanish expressionist realism, clearly influenced by the School of Paris and authors such as Cezanne, Matisse or Picasso in the use of color and the distortion of forms, creating a personal language with which to represent, as Camilo José Cela said "the multiple and luminous Spains that only fit in very wide palettes and in very well organized heads". (Collected from the article "Quesada-Madrid-París" by Cela, published in the newspaper "Arriba" on February 14, 1951).
Subarna Subastas
May. 30, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. pediment game
Est: -
Ink drawing on paper. Inscription on the back. Provenance: - Cesáreo Rodríguez-Aguilera Conde (Seal on the back). - Private collection.
Duran Arte y Subastas
May. 30, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. nudes
Est: -
Ink drawing on both sides on paper. Stains on the back.
Duran Arte y Subastas
May. 30, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. nudes
Est: -
Ink drawing on paper on both sides.
Duran Arte y Subastas
May. 30, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. nudes
Est: -
Ink drawing on both sides on paper.
Duran Arte y Subastas
May. 30, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. female nude
Est: -
Ink drawing on paper. Inscription on the back. Provenance: - Cesáreo Rodríguez-Aguilera Conde (Seal on the back). - Private collection.
Duran Arte y Subastas
Apr. 26, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. Farmer / Landscape
Est: -
Ink drawing on both sides on paper.
Duran Arte y Subastas
Apr. 26, 2023
Raphael Zabaleta. woman before
Est: -
Ink drawing on paper. Provenance: - Private collection, Barcelona.
Duran Arte y Subastas
Jan. 25, 2023
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "The wolf ravine". 1946. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Est: €12,000 - €15,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). El barranco del lobo ("The Wolf's Ravine"). 1946. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated in the lower left corner. It has a label from the Ministry of National Education on the back, due to the inclusion of the painting in an anthology of the artist. Measurements: 82 x 66 cm; 100 x 83 cm (frame). Rafael Zabaleta was an extremely versatile painter, capable of developing in parallel a post-cubist work in which the image is fragmented evoking colourful stained glass windows and, at the same time, a landscape painting apparently traditional but in which the avant-garde legacy can be appreciated. The present landscape with wolf belongs to this second group. The brushstrokes here are protean: they metamorphose into circles to represent the iridescent tops of the trees, broken strokes on the rocks, etc. Cezanne's influence is also evident in the essentialist and synthetic reduction of nature. Born into a well-to-do family, Rafael Zabaleta showed a love of painting from an early age, and after completing his secondary school studies he moved to Madrid and enrolled at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in 1925. His teachers there were Lainez Alcalá, Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo, and in 1932 he took part for the first time in a group exhibition, that of the San Fernando students. One of his works, entitled "La pareja" ("The Couple"), was selected to illustrate the critical review by Manuel Abril for the magazine "Blanco y Negro". Three years later Zabaleta made his first trip to Paris, where he studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasury, and also around this time he began a series of drawings on the Civil War. At the end of the war he was denounced and briefly spent time in the Higuera de Calatrava concentration camp and in Jaén prison, where his two albums of drawings made during the war were confiscated. Finally freed, in 1940 he settled in Madrid, where he attended the gatherings at the Café Gijón and drew and painted at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Two years later he visited Aurelio Biosca, director of the Madrid gallery Biosca, with a letter of introduction from the sculptor Manolo Hugué. It was there that he held his first solo exhibition that same year, after being rejected from the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he took part in the First Salón de los Once and became a member of Eugenio d'Ors's Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte, to which Biosca also belonged. Zabaleta took part in most of his Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 Zabaleta took part in the group exhibition "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continued to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in the capital. In 1947 he held his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos gallery, and his first monograph was published. Two years later he travelled again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration was 1951, when he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he won the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. That same year he took part in the Mediterranean Biennial held in Alexandria, and held a solo exhibition in Bilbao. During his last years Zabaleta became a fully recognised artist, invited to the most important exhibitions and salons both in Spain and in foreign cities of the importance of Paris.
Setdart Auction House
Nov. 03, 2022
RAFAEL ZABALETA Quesada, Jaen (1907) / (1960) "Fauna of Cazorla", 1958
Est: €60,000 - €80,000
Oil on canvas Signed in the lower left corner On the back labels from the Biosca Gallery, Madrid and the Laietana Gallery, Barcelona Bibliography: Campoy, A, M., "Zabaleta", 1907...(repr.) Castro Arines, J. "Three exhibitions" (repr.) AZ Coaga, E. "Zabaleta or candor..." (repr.) Diego, G. , "28 painters...", page 198 (repr.) Azancot, L., "R. Zabaleta" (repr.) -Guzmán Pérez, MF, "The painting of Rafael Zabaleta", Caja General de Ahorros y Monte of Piety of Granada, 1985, p. 302, nº422 Exhibitions: General Directorate of BBAA, Madrid 1959, nº21 Biosca Gallery, Madrid 1970 (repr.) "The tree", Banco de Granada, 1974, nº40 Biosca, Madrid 1975 Layetanas Gallery, Barcelona, 1976 nº15 Aizpuru, Seville 1976, nº7 "Spanish painting of the 20th century", Ministry of Culture. Museum of Modern Art Mexico. October 1978 (label on the back) Measurements: 130 x 98 cm
Ansorena
Oct. 11, 2022
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Untitled. Paris, 1950. Ink on paper. Signed, dated, located and dedicated in the lower part.
Est: €1,700 - €2,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907-1960). "Untitled. Paris, 1950. Ink on paper. Signed, dated, located and dedicated in the lower part. Size: 31 x 24 cm; 45 x 38 cm (frame). Born into a well-to-do family, Rafael Zabaleta showed his interest in painting from an early age, so after finishing his high school studies he moved to Madrid and entered the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in 1925. His teachers there were Lainez Alcalá, Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo, and in 1932 he took part for the first time in a group exhibition, that of the San Fernando students. One of his works, entitled "La pareja" ("The Couple"), was selected to illustrate the critical review by Manuel Abril for the magazine "Blanco y Negro". Three years later Zabaleta made his first trip to Paris, where he studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasury, and also around this time he began a series of drawings on the Civil War. At the end of the war he was denounced and briefly spent time in the Higuera de Calatrava concentration camp and in Jaén prison, where his two albums of drawings made during the war were confiscated. Finally freed, in 1940 he settled in Madrid, where he attended the gatherings at the Café Gijón and drew and painted at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Two years later he visited Aurelio Biosca, director of the Madrid gallery Biosca, with a letter of introduction from the sculptor Manolo Hugué. There he held his first individual exhibition that same year, after being rejected at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he took part in the First Salón de los Once and became a member of Eugenio d'Ors's Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte, to which Biosca also belonged. Zabaleta took part in most of his Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 Zabaleta took part in the group exhibition "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continued to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in the capital. In 1947 he held his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos gallery, and his first monograph was published. Two years later he travelled again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration was 1951, when he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he won the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. That same year he took part in the Mediterranean Biennial held in Alexandria, and held a solo exhibition in Bilbao. During his last years, Zabaleta became a fully recognised artist, invited to the most important exhibitions and salons both in Spain and in foreign cities of the importance of Paris. The most important collection of his work is to be found in the Zabaleta Museum in Quesada, although it is also present in the most prestigious museums in the world, in cities such as Buenos Aires, New York and Tokyo.
Setdart Auction House
Oct. 06, 2022
RAFAEL ZABALETA SOURCES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 – 1960). "Landscape of Zújar", 1938. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in Guzmán Pérez 79, p. 129. Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Est: €14,000 - €16,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA FUENTES (Quesada, Jaén, 1907 - 1960). "Landscape of Zújar", 1938. Oil on canvas. Work reproduced in Guzmán Pérez 79, p. 129. Signed and dated in the lower right corner. Measurements: 70 x 90 cm; 81,5 x 102 cm (frame). In this work the artist presents us with a landscape conceived with a sober chromatism, based on the interrelation of the greens with the pinkish earths, the passages being in charge of the ochres and soft violet tones, which in turn contrast without stridency. The technique is very direct, incorporating the colour on wet in the primary stain and in semi-wet afterwards. The work of realistic connotations is close to the postulates of the Vallecas School, showing a special interest in the telluric. It is worth mentioning that the work goes beyond the purely pictorial, awakening a certain nostalgia or emotion linked to the artist's biography, who portrays the Zújar bridge, this being one of the places he crossed when he finished his mission in the civil war. Born into a well-to-do family, Rafael Zabaleta showed a love of painting from an early age, and after completing his secondary school studies he moved to Madrid and enrolled at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in 1925. His teachers there were Lainez Alcalá, Cecilio Pla and Ignacio Pinazo, and in 1932 he took part for the first time in a group exhibition, that of the San Fernando students. One of his works, entitled "La pareja" ("The Couple"), was selected to illustrate the critical review by Manuel Abril for the magazine "Blanco y Negro". Three years later Zabaleta made his first trip to Paris, where he studied the works of the masters of contemporary painting. In 1937 he was appointed delegate of the National Artistic Treasury, and also around this time he began a series of drawings on the Civil War. At the end of the war he was denounced and briefly spent time in the Higuera de Calatrava concentration camp and in Jaén prison, where his two albums of drawings made during the war were confiscated. Finally freed, in 1940 he settled in Madrid, where he attended the gatherings at the Café Gijón and drew and painted at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Two years later he visited Aurelio Biosca, director of the Madrid gallery Biosca, with a letter of introduction from the sculptor Manolo Hugué. It was there that he held his first solo exhibition that same year, after being rejected from the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. However, the following year he took part in the First Salón de los Once and became a member of Eugenio d'Ors's Academia Breve de Crítica de Arte, to which Biosca also belonged. Zabaleta took part in most of his Salones de los Once and anthological exhibitions. In 1945 Zabaleta took part in the group exhibition "Floreros y bodegones" held at the National Museum of Modern Art, while he continued to exhibit individually and collectively in galleries in the capital. In 1947 he held his first personal exhibition in Barcelona, at the Argos gallery, and his first monograph was published. Two years later he travelled again to Paris, coming into contact with Picasso, Óscar Domínguez, M. Ángeles Ortiz and others. The year of his definitive consecration was 1951, when he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 1955 he won the UNESCO Prize at the Hispano-American Biennial in Barcelona. That same year he took part in the Mediterranean Biennial held in Alexandria, and held a solo exhibition in Bilbao. During his last years, Zabaleta became a fully recognised artist, invited to the most important exhibitions and salons both in Spain and in foreign cities of the importance of Paris. The most important collection of his work can be found in the Zabaleta Museum in Quesada, although it is also present in the most prestigious museums in the world, in cities such as Buenos Aires, New York and Tokyo.
Setdart Auction House
Jul. 20, 2022
RAFAEL ZABALETA Quesada, Jaen (1907) / (1960) "Landscape of Zújar", 1938
Est: €27,000 - €36,000
Oil on canvas. With reinforced signature and date in the lower right corner. Bibliography: María F. Guzmán Pérez "Rafael's painting Zabaleta", Caja General de Ahorros de Granada 1985; p. 333 nº49 María F. Guzmán Pérez "Quesada and Granada in the life and work of the painter" María F. Guzmán Pérez "The painter R. Zabaleta, his relationship with Granada" María F. Guzmán Pérez "Catalogation...", nº49, page 63 María F. Guzmán Pérez "Catalogue raisonné" page. 114-115 nº49 Measurements: 70 x 90 cm.
Ansorena
Jun. 14, 2022
RAFAEL ZABALETA Quesada, Jaen (1907) / (1960) "The couple", 1957
Est: €67,500 - €90,000
Oil on canvas Signed in the lower left corner. On the back labels of the Daniel Cardani Gallery, Madrid and the XXX Venice Biennial, 1960. Bibliography: Guzman, M; Catalogacón..., nº403, pag. 677-78 Guzman, M: Life and work..., num 38, pag.142 Guzman, M; The Painting of Rafael Zabaleta, Caja General de Ahorros de Granada, pag. 408, nº 407. Exhibitions: Direccion General de BBAA, Madrid 1959, nº 17. XXX Biennial, Venice 1960 . 81 x 100 cm
Ansorena
Jun. 14, 2022
RAFAEL ZABALETA Quesada, Jaen (1907) / (1960) "Female nude"
Est: €2,700 - €3,600
Gouache on paper Signed in the lower left corner . 49 x 32,5 cm
Ansorena
Jun. 14, 2022
RAFAEL ZABALETA Quesada, Jaen (1907) / (1960) "Female nude"
Est: €2,700 - €3,600
Gouache on paper Signed in the lower right corner . 49 x 32,5 cm
Ansorena
May. 25, 2022
Rafael Zabaleta. Ceramics and landscape
Est: -
Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower right side. Provenance: - Private Collection, Barcelona. Exhibitions: - Layetanas, Barcelona, 1949. - Parque Museum, Bilbao, 1955. - College of Architects, Barcelona, 1965. - Adriá, Barcelona, 1971. Bibliography: - GUZMÁN PÉREZ, María.: Rafael Zabaleta Catalog study. Oils. Institute of Ginnenses Studies and Provincial Council of Jaén. Jaen, 2010. Pages. 432-433. Rep. Col. As described by María Guzmán Pérez: "It presents, on a rustic table, a series of anthropomorphic ceramics, serving as a background a chain of hills, in which the construction of inhabited caves can be seen and ends in a clear sky , minimized by the geological representation. The composition is based on the principles that govern the axial symmetry. The schematic drawing, especially in the first term, since the one that corresponds to the mountains is much more realistic and mattious, as is usual in this painting. Work in which decorative and chromatic susres stand out, whose exaltation makes us link it with the fauvist, using a very free technique."
Duran Arte y Subastas
Apr. 27, 2022
Raphael Zabaleta. still-life
Est: -
Oil on canvas. Signed in the upper right corner. Provenance: - Private Collection, Barcelona.
Duran Arte y Subastas
Apr. 06, 2022
RAFAEL ZABALETA.. Quesada, Jaen (1907) / (1960). "Wildlife of Cazorla", 1958. 130 x 98 cm .
Est: €105,000 - €140,000
Signed in the lower left corner On the back, labels of the Galería Biosca, Madrid and the Galería Laietana, Barcelona. Bibliography: Campoy, A, M., ""Zabaleta"", 1907...(repr.) Castro Arines, J., ""Tres exposicines"" (repr.) (repr.) A.Z. Coaga, E. ""Zabaleta or the candour..."" (repr.) Diego, G., ""28 painters...", p.198 (repr.) Azancot, L., ""R. Zabaleta"" (repr.) -Guzmán Pérez, M. F., ""La pintura de Rafael Zabaleta"", Caja General de Ahorros y Monte de Piedad de Granada, 1985, p. 302, no. 422. Exhibitions: Direccion General de BBAA, Madrid 1959, nº 21. Biosca Gallery, Madrid 1970 (repr.) "El arbol", Banco de Granada, 1974, nº40 Biosca, Madrid 1975 Layetanas Gallery, Barcelona, 1976, nº15 Aizpuru, Sevilla 1976, nº7 "La pintura española del s.XX", Ministry of Culture. Museum of Modern Art, Mexico. October 1978 (label on the back) Oil on canvas. 130 x 98 cm.
Ansorena
Mar. 29, 2022
RAFAEL ZABALETA Jaén 1907-1960 Sculptural form. 2004 Patinated bronze on a woode
Est: €1,500 - €3,000
RAFAEL ZABALETA Jaén 1907-1960 Sculptural form. 2004 Patinated bronze on a wooden base Numbered 18/20 Measures 34 x 20 x 10 cm Edited by Artium Museum, Vitoria 2002 Made from an original drawing by the artist; and on the occasion of the exhibition of 36 works deposited in the Artium Museum in Vitoria, by the Castaño Lasaosa-Zabaleta family.
Subastas Segre