PROPERTY FROM THE BABY SANTIAGO COLLECTION

Provenance:
Acquired directly from the artist

Exhibited:
Berlin Hilton Hotel, Oscar Zalameda: One-Man Show,
Berlin, Germany, 1970

ABOUT THE WORK

In the early 1970s, Oscar Zalameda was at the pinnacle of his very illustrious international painting career. Zalameda was living in Paris at that time and would visit Berlin for an exhibition organized by the couple, Baby Santiago and Richard Handl, at the Berlin Hilton Hotel. According to Zalameda, the painting depicts the South of France, known colloquially in French as le Midi. Located along France's coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, the region is known for its scenic beachside location, balmy weather, and stunning coastal vista. Zalameda frequented this location owing to his bon vivant persona. As Zalameda integrated himself with the spirit of liberty and rapture in his European sojourn, his art also became acquainted with Western culture's ecstatic atmosphere. Zalameda depicts the pleasant and picturesque landscape of the South of France, which is filled with the vitality of a coastal community. In this piece, the artist's conspicuous execution of Cubism is manifested, specifically in the sketched-like boats possessing varicolored edges that make it assimilated with its background. Zalameda displays his mastery of executing his trademark approach to Cubism in this spirited yet calming piece through his application of subdued colors and lines. The artist's softened brushstrokes render a visual correspondence between figuration and abstraction, unraveling a personal abstract style that has not entirely abandoned the concept of representational imagery. These are especially noticeable in his depiction of sailboats—a recurring subject matter in Zalameda's oeuvre— juxtaposed with a backdrop of an unclouded sky and crystal-clear azure waters. This work is a visual embodiment of Zalameda's burgeoning interest in the elemental, showing the sophisticated mural techniques he learned in Mexico in 1955.