De la Serna, Ismael.
Works of the artist.
Ismael González de la Serna was a Spanish painter from the first half of the 20th century, known for his unique artistic voice that seamlessly blended elements of cubism, expressionism, and surrealism. [+]
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De la Serna, Ismael
Ismael González de la Serna was a Spanish painter from the first half of the 20th century, known for his unique artistic voice that seamlessly blended elements of cubism, expressionism, and surrealism. Even though he was born in Gaudix, he spent most of his childhood and adolescence in Granada. He remained in the city to study fine arts at the Escuela de Arte y Oficios until 1916, year in which he moved to Madrid to continue his studies at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.
During his first year living in the Spanish capital, he presented his work in the Ateneo, while he dedicated his free time to visit the Museo del Prado and paint studies inspired by the distinguished works of El Greco and Zurbarán. However, it was the exhibition titled “The Great French Impressionists”, exhibited at the Museo de Arte Moderno, that significantly changed the way he looked at art. In Madrid, he also became good friends with Federico García Lorca, who offered him the opportunity to design the cover of his first book, Impresiones y Paisajes (1918).
In 1921, after some time in Granada, he moved to Paris. Living in the Montparnasse neighborhood amidst a community of artists, De la Serna learned firsthand about the vibrant avant-garde movements dominating the city, which consequently shaped his artistic evolution and style. Nevertheless, his first years in the French capital proved challenging for his career, as he struggled to fully establish his presence in the Parisian artistic scene. It was not until 1927 that he had his first exhibition, curated by Paul Guillaume and composed of fifty paintings. Due to its great success, art critic Teriade wrote a powerful text about his work in the prestigious art magazine, Cahiers d’Art, while the Museum of Modern Art in Paris acquired one of his creations.
Since then, De la Serna was seen in different European exhibitions, including one titled Pintores Españoles Residentes en París at the Jardín Botánico of Madrid, and many others at the Galerie Zak of Paris, the Museum Manheim or the National Gallery of Berlin. The intimate relationship that he established with the Sociedad de Artistas Ibéricos also allowed him to show his work in collective and individual presentations around the world. In addition, his recurrent appearance in distinct literary magazines, such as “Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration”, further elevated his name and art.
When De la Serna arrived in Paris, cubism was already ending, yet he still became enamored with the style and properties of this revolutionary movement. His career, however, wasn’t limited solely to cubism, it was rather a unique representation of his ability to integrate expressionist, surrealist, and cubist styles in one same canvas. This presented an excellent opportunity to engage in a cohesive and inclusive discussion of the prominent artistic movements of the century. His paintings were characterized by simple and structured compositions, adorned with bright colors.
In the beginning of the 40s, the artist’s success suffered due to the start of World War II. Germany, where he garnered much of his artistic acclaim, was greatly affected by Hitler’s rise to power, leading to the closure of numerous galleries with which he worked. Consequently, the presence of his paintings in museums and galleries was limited, having only one exhibition in Prague in 1946. However, from 1952 onwards, his art started to make a strong appearance again in international institutions, like at the Museo de Artes Plásticas in Mexico, the Tate Gallery in London, the Hammer Gallery in New York, or the Galerie Michel Boutin in Paris.
In 1974, six years following his passing in 1968, the Museum of Modern Art in Paris honored him with a retrospective exhibition of his artistic career. Nowadays, De la Serna remains in private and public collections around the world, while his works continue to influence contemporary exhibitions.
