Oscar Domínguez's masterpieces were sold at Sotheby's auction for over 3.3 million euros.
At a Sotheby's auction, two masterpieces by surrealist Oscar Domínguez from the Pauline Karpidas collection were sold for over 3.3 million euros, confirming the growing interest in his innovative work.
In London, surrealism is being talked about again! At a Sotheby's auction, two masterpieces by the Tenerife artist, Óscar Domínguez, were sold for over 3.3 million euros. These works were part of the famous Pauline Karpidas collection, which brings together the best examples of surrealism and the European avant-garde of the 20th century.
The painting "Piano" (1933) went for 2,304,000 euros, and the surrealist object "Accurate Sensitivity" (1935) – for 1,024,000 euros. This shows that the world is increasingly interested in the work of Domínguez, who is considered one of the coolest innovators of surrealism, on a par with Dalí, Magritte, and others.
In "Piano," Domínguez depicted his fantastic world. We see a woman playing the piano with her back to us, and around her are strange, disturbing forms. The painting was created in Paris and shows that the artist was influenced by Salvador Dalí. At the same time, Domínguez was looking for his own style, where dream and reality intertwine.
"Accurate Sensitivity" is a cool example of a surrealist object. Domínguez combined painting with plaster, iron, spatulas, and plastic to create a three-dimensional composition. It depicts a hand pushing a syringe into a white sphere. This work, made in Paris in 1935, shows the tension between body and mind, science and emotions – themes that are often found in his work.
Both works were created in Paris, where the artist moved from La Laguna (born there in 1906) and became part of André Breton's surrealist circle. Domínguez was cool at making collages, poetic objects, and experimenting with techniques such as decalcomania. This made him one of the most important artists of the European avant-garde.
At the auction, Domínguez's works were sold alongside works by other famous 20th-century artists. The Pauline Karpidas collection included works by de Chirico, Dalí, Magritte, Carrington, Picabia, Tanguy, Tanning, Giacometti, Ernst, Picasso, Warhol, Fontana, Koons, and many others.
Sotheby's called the collection "a celebration of the visionary spirit of surrealism," combining dreams, eroticism, and imagination. The sales were very successful and showed that now is a great time for surrealist artists in the global market.
Domínguez's success at the auction confirms that his work is being appreciated again. In recent years, there have been many exhibitions and studies that have shown how innovative he was. Although the artist's life tragically ended in 1957, his legacy continues to live on. His combination of art and materials, his poetic vision of the Canary Islands, and his exploration of dreams are especially valued.
Domínguez is currently being talked about a lot thanks to the "Óscar Domínguez" exhibition at the Picasso Museum in Malaga. It features his works from his early, Dalí-inspired pieces to his cosmic works and radical surrealist objects. The exhibition is curated by Isidro Hernández, chief curator of the artist's collection at TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes.
The sale at Sotheby's confirms what critics have long said: Óscar Domínguez not only occupies an important place in the history of surrealism, but is also one of the most original voices in Spanish modern art. His imagination still amazes the world.