Neo-expressionist female nude – Oil on Canvas by Jesús López Sánchez

Description:
The painting appears to be executed in oil on canvas characterized by visible brushstrokes, rich texture, and expressive use of color. The artist uses intense, non-naturalistic tones—vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds contrasted with cooler blues and greens—prioritizing emotional impact over realism. Strong outlines and visible contours recall Fauvist and Expressionist techniques, emphasizing color and form rather than faithful representation. The female nude is depicted in a dynamic pose, possibly kneeling or semi-seated, with exaggerated gestures and sculptural volumes. The background is simplified—perhaps a curtain and a window—creating a flat, decorative space that isolates and highlights the figure. The tension between decorative color and figurative representation suggests an aesthetic intention rather than mere imitation of nature. Stylistically, the work could belong to late Fauvism or modern figurative Expressionism, or be a contemporary reinterpretation of the nude with mid-20th-century influences such as nouvelle figuration. It favors emotion, color, and symbolic representation over strict realism.

Artist influenced by:
During the 1980s and 1990s, Neo-Expressionism remained a significant force in both Europe and Spain. This movement revived the emotional intensity and gestural language of historical Expressionism, reinterpreting them through a more personal, symbolic, and contemporary lens. Its visual language is defined by vivid, contrasting colors, free and textural brushwork, and an emotional, non-realist figuration that treats the human body as a conduit of energy, expression, and feeling. In Spain, this trend was represented by artists such as José Manuel Broto, Gabino Amaya Cacho, Miquel Barceló—in his early figurative period—and Rafael Canogar during his return to the figure. Within this context, J. Cosán’s work can be situated in the Spanish Neo-Expressionism of the 1980s and 1990s, a movement that re-centered the human figure as the core of pictorial creation, rendered through emotional and chromatic intensity.

Condition of the frame:
Frame in molded and gilded wood, with slight flaws and damage. Signed. On the back, signed, dated between 1994 and 1995, and dedicated.