Oil on hardboard
Dominican Republic, 20th Century
José Vela Zanetti (1913-1999) – Spanish painter
Signed lower right ‘Vela Zanetti’
Decorative ornament frame
Overall dimensions, framed: 115 x 99 cm; hardboard: 91 x 76 cm
Very good condition
Provenance: German private collection in Santo Domingo
A powerful, intimate portrait of a peasant in warm brown colours; the highest hammer price for a painting of the artist on the international auction market is set at 80,000 euros
Object is regular taxed. Differential taxation is not possible.

With powerful brushstrokes, the Spanish artist José Vela Zanetti (1913-1999) has captured this expressive portrait of a farmer with a stick. In this character study, Zanetti gives evidence of being a talented portraitist, whose artistic technique becomes a parameter of content. This work testifies Zanetti's work as a muralist, as the painting seems more like a fresco in sepia than an oil portrait of modernity. Zanetti has painted this work when he was already living in exile in the Dominican Republic and successful in the activity of wall painting (‘muralismo’). With the help of light and shadow effects, Zanetti succeeded in creating a realistic character study of remarkable timelessness.

The painting is signed lower right ‘Vela Zanetti’. The condition of the painting is very good with only minimal signs of age and wear, such as framing marks. Under the layers of paint are visible preparatory drawings. The decorative ornament frame is in good condition with only minimal signs of use. The overall dimensions, framed, are 115 x 99 cm. The hardboard measures 91 x 76 cm.



José Vela Zanetti (1913-1999)

José Vela Zanetti is one of the most meaningful Spanish artists of the 20th Century. A native of Burgos in northern Spain, Zanetti is also known as representative of ‘Muralismo’ – a special type of wall painting. He completed his art studies in Madrid with his teacher, José Ramon Zaragoza. An educational journey brought him to Italy in 1933. The Spanish Civil War, which broke out in 1936, was to mark him in a cruel manner, because his father was executed because of his socialist political views. In 1939, this event brought Zanetti into exile to the Dominican Republic. There, his great success as a painter and ‘muralist‘ started. He received over 100 commissions for wall paintings from public institutions such as libraries, government buildings and banks. Since 1945, Zanetti also worked as a lecturer at the National Art Academy in Santo Domingo, whose director he became in 1949. With a Guggenheim fellowship in 1951, he spent several years in New York City in the 1950s, where Zanetti's international career began. Also his most well-known work for the UN-headquarters: a wall painting with the title ‘The struggle of humanity for a long-lasting peace’ (La Lucha del Hombre por la Paz) was created in New York. Zanetti spent the end of his life in his birthplace Milagros in the province of Burgos. His later oeuvre shows a mixture of portraits, still lives, landscapes and religious themes.

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