Lot 147
Xavier Bueno (Spanish, 1915-1979). "Bambina" (Girl) oil on board, n.d. (ca. 1950s). Hand-signed in black pigment at upper left. A classic Xavier Bueno painting of a "bambina" (young girl in Italian) one of his recurring themes. The child sits at a table before a bowl that is ironically empty but surrounded by three fresh fruits. She peers out at the viewer with wide open eyes and an extremely sad yet calm expression, quite characteristic of Bueno's portraits of children. All is rendered in Bueno's signature painterly manner in shades of black, white, and grey with tasteful moments of lemon yellow and kelly green. Bueno's paintings of crestfallen children stemmed from his response to the devastation and suffering endured during the Spanish Civil War. His intention was to present these youths as heartbreaking but simultaneously signal hope for the enduring human spirit even in the most dire of times. Size: 27.5" L x 19.625" W (69.8 cm x 49.8 cm)
Of Note: There is an old label from "Galleria D'Arte / Santacroce / Firenze" on the verso of this painting with the artist's name, dimensions, and title handwritten in ink. In addition, the number "10" written in red marker within a red triangle, perhaps to indicate the painting's place in an exhibition and/or publication, is on the verso.
About the Artist: Born in Vera de Bidasoa on January 16, 1915, Xavier Bueno's family settled in Geneva in 1925. Bueno then attended the Geneva Academy of Fine Arts, and upon returning to Spain with his mother in 1936, attended the S. Fernando Academy in Madrid where he studied painting under Vazquez Diaz. The following year he started showing his work at the Salon des Tuileries, the Salon d'Automne, and the Salon des Independants. In 1938, his younger brother Antonio, also a painter, joined him in Paris, and the pair had a fruitful partnership for the next ten years. They traveled to Italy as was customary for aspiring artists during this period and chose to settle in Tuscany. In 1947, Xavier Bueno founded the group called "Pittori Moderni della Realta" (Modern Painters of Reality) with Antonio Bueno, Pietro Annigoni, and Gregorio Sciltian. Their manifesto championed objective observations and faithful reproductions of their subjects. In 1954, Xavier Buena traveled to Brazil. This trip was pivotal, because Bueno became interested in sketching children in Brazil. From this point on, youth became a recurring theme in his oeuvre. His portraits of girls and boys delineated with intense sadness and tranquility are his most recognized works.
PROVENANCE: private Vallejo, California, USA collection, acquired in 2004
Please Note: A Xavier Bueno painting of a comparable size and theme albeit painted on canvas rather than panel was sold for $9,143 (7,800 Euros) by Casa d'Aste Capitolium, Brescia, Italy on September 9, 2025 (lot #54). In addition, a smaller painting on panel by Xavier Bueno with a similar theme and titled "Bambina" (c. 1959) was sold for $5,557 (4,900 Euros) on May 21, 2025 (lot #22) by Fondaco Aste, Milan, Italy.
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Item #
197403
- Condition: Hand-signed in black pigment at upper left. Old label from "Galleria D'Arte / Santacroce / Firenze" on the verso with artist's name, dimensions, and title handwritten in ink on the verso. Number "10" written in red marker within a triangle, perhaps to indicate the painting's place in an exhibition or publication, on the verso. Painting has some expected age wear with minor nicks/losses to peripheries of painting, but these do not impact the central imagery which presents with vivid imagery, vibrant coloration, lush painterly passages and rich areas of impasto.
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