Keywords: Modernist painting, Impressionist influence, Mid 20th Century European art, Expressionist decorative tradition, Contemporary figurative art, Raoul Dufy style, Kees van Dongen style, Marie Laurencin style, Decorative floral portrait, Painterly brushwork, Expressionist illustration

Summary:
Emilio Grau-Sala Signed Watercolor Painting on Paper

“Elegant with Black Ribbons”

Emilio Grau-Sala (1911–1975) was a Spanish painter known for his lyrical, color-rich compositions. In 1930, he held his first exhibition at the Badriñas Gallery in Barcelona.

At the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Grau-Sala moved to Paris, settling in the Montparnasse artists’ colony among fellow Spanish expatriates. That same year, he was awarded the First Carnegie Prize.

During his twenty-five years in Paris, he became closely acquainted with the avant-garde, though he remained committed to a colorist figurative style derived from Impressionism and Fauvism. While movements like Cubism and Surrealism came to dominate the art scene, Grau-Sala upheld a refined, modern continuation of Impressionist ideals.

He was often regarded in Paris as a successor to the spirit and values of artists such as Bonnard, Chagall, and Dufy.

Measurement: Art: 11 1/2 x 8 in. (29.2 x 20.3 cm.), Frame: 16 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. (41.9 x 31.8 cm.) approx

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