![Ventana de noche [Window at Night]](/f/webca/OAR/Obras/ficheros-estaticos/D_175_M_1.JPG)
![Ventana de noche [Window at Night]](/f/webca/OAR/Obras/ficheros-estaticos/D_175_G_1.JPG)
![Ventana de noche [Window at Night]](/f/webca/OAR/Obras/ficheros-estaticos/D_175_P_1.JPG)
Ventana de noche [Window at Night]
- 1972
- Pencil on paper
- 102 x 73 cm
- Cat. D_175
- Acquired in 1993
The Banco de España Collection has a fairly representative sample of the output of Madrid-born sculptor Francisco López Hernández and including works ranging from the outset of his career in the 1960s, when he began to work on commissions from major Spanish institutions, almost up to the present day. They include plaques in high and low relief, and works that reveal him to be not just a great sculptor but an exceptional sketch artist. López Hernández follows tradition in his choice of disciplines and materials (mainly bronze, terracotta and plaster) and in the use of genres marked by the French Academy in the 18th century. That includes still-lifes and landscapes. His realistic style brings a contemporary feel to his work. His is not the sculpture or painting of a passing moment, but of a build-up of time and emotions: these are works where there are no human beings but humans have left their mark, so their omission creates a strong impression of containment and silence and an idea of eternity. The Quince Tree (1983-1986) is a high-relief follows the Baroque tradition of vanitas, in an allegory of death; but the objects that accompany the fruits (a bag, a chain with a pendant) are contemporary and place the scene in the here and now
López Férnandez is a master of bas-relief. He learned the technique at his father's workshop and developed it in a long, distinguished career as a designer of medals. In 1983 the Banco de España commissioned him to produce bronzes to mark the opening of the bank's headquarters in Cadiz. He chose to depict two trees (a quince tree and a fig tree) as symbols of life and plenty: in their simplicity, their detail and the absence of any background, these trees recall the paintings of Pompeii, with which the artist was familiar. The Garden (1970) is another landscape, in this case an urban oasis whose high wall indicates that the hidden spot at the rear is a private place
Window at Night (1972) is a detailed, melancholy, intimate drawing that shows great virtuosity as it marks the contrast between the artificially lit interior and the silence of the night. The window is the frontier between the intimate and the exterior. It recalls interiors by 18th century Dutch painters and, like paintings by other artists in his generation, places the viewer in the protected, indoor space.
Other works by Francisco López Hernández