Artist
Joaquín Torres-García (Uruguayan, 1874–1949)Uruguayan, 1874–1949
CultureUruguayan
Titles
- Composición abstracta tubular
- Abstract Tubular Composition
Date1937
MediumTempera on cardboard
Dimensions32 × 39 3/4 in. (81.3 × 101 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Alice Pratt Brown Museum Fund
Object number2002.326
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 205
On view
Explore Further
Department
Latin American ArtObject Type
This painting combines the orthogonal grid with the
structural system of Inca stone architecture. Torres-García uses shading and leaves
large patches unpainted to simulate the textured, stony surfaces of these
massive Pre-Columbian sites. In his view, the flat, frontal, geometric elements
of Pre-Columbian art and architecture could be considered a point of origin for
modern Latin American abstraction. Intertwining Constructivist principles with indigenous
motifs, he sought to establish an autonomous art movement in the region.
ProvenanceThe artist, Montevideo; by descent to his daughter, Ifigenia Torres, Montevideo; Estate of Royal S. Marks, New York; Sotheby’s, New York, 1989; Private Collection, New York; [Cecilia de Torres, Ltd., New York]; sold to MFAH, 2002.
Exhibition History"Sala Torres-García," V São Paulo Bienal, Brazil, September–December, 1959.
"Torres-García: Colleción Privada de Montevideo," Comisión Nacional de Bellas Artes, Montevideo, Uruguay, December, 1962.
"18 works by Joaquín Torres-García," André Emmerich Gallery, New York, September 18–October 16, 1971.
"Works by Joaquín Torres-García, 1874-1949," Meredith Long & Company, Houston, April 14–30, 1977; Meredith Long Contemporary, New York, November 12–December 1, 1977.
"Torres-García: Grid-Pattern Sign: Paris-Montevideo 1924–1944," Hayward Gallery, London, November 14, 1985–February 23, 1986; Stadtische Kunsthalle Dusseldorf, Germany, June 28–August 17, 1986; Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, March 13–May 4, 1986; Center for the Fine Arts, Miami, September 14–November 9, 1986; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, February 14–April 5, 1987.
"J. Torres-García," Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, June–August 1991; Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (IVAM) Centre Julio González, Spain, September–November 1991.
"Torres-García, obra consturctivista," Fundação Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva, Lisbon, May 9–July 21, 1996.
"J. Torres-García, obra constructiva," Museo de Pontevedra, Spain, August–September 1996.
"North and South Connected: An Abstraction of the Americas," Cecilia de Torres, New York, Autumn 1998.
"Abstraction: the Amerindian Paradigm," Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, June 29–September 16, 2001; Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (IVAM) Centre Julio González, Spain, October 18, 2001–June 1, 2002.
"Inverted Utopias: The Avant-Garde in Latin America, 1920-1970," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 20–September 12, 2004.
"Brought to Light: Recent Acquisitions in Latin American Art," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, August 13, 2005–January 2, 2006.
"Constructing Abstraction: Selections from the Permanent Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, May 20–September 23, 2007.
"Modern Art from the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City, December 12, 2007–April 6, 2008.
"North Looks South: Building the Latin American Art Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 7–September 27, 2009.
"Arte latinamericano 1910–2010," Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, September 21, 2011–March 5, 2012.
"Constructed Dialogues: Concrete, Geometric, and Kinetic Art from the Latin American Art Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, September 16, 2012–January 6, 2013.
"Joaquín Torres-García: The Arcadian Modern," Museum of Modern Art, New York, October 25, 2015–February 15, 2016; Fundación Telefónica, Madrid, May 19–September 11, 2016; Museo Picasso, Málaga, Spain, October 10, 2016–February 5, 2017.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Painted lower right in the image: 37
Signed lower left in the image: J. Torres-Garcia
Printed label on verso backboard, upper left:
Joaquin Torres-Garcia: The Arcadian Modern / Venue(s): MoMo [10/25/2015-2/15/2016] / Fundación Telefónica [5/19/2016-9/11/2016] / Museo Picasso, Málanga, Spain [10/10/2016-2/5/2017] / Lender: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston / Artist: Joaquin Torres-Garcia / Title/Date: Composición abstraacta tubular, 1937 / Medium: Tempera on cardboard / Section: (blank) / Museum No: LN2015.1171 // The Museum of Modern Art / 11 West 53rd Street, New York, New York 10019
Joaquin Torres-Garcia: The Arcadian Modern / Venue(s): MoMo [10/25/2015-2/15/2016] / Fundación Telefónica [5/19/2016-9/11/2016] / Museo Picasso, Málanga, Spain [10/10/2016-2/5/2017] / Lender: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston / Artist: Joaquin Torres-Garcia / Title/Date: Composición abstraacta tubular, 1937 / Medium: Tempera on cardboard / Section: (blank) / Museum No: LN2015.1171 // The Museum of Modern Art / 11 West 53rd Street, New York, New York 10019
Catalogue raisonnéNo. P1937.20, Estate of the artist No. 35.
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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Sergio Torres-Torres
2009
Acrylic and graphite on canvas
2009.546.A-.C
