Description

Original lithograph, poster before the letter, signed in pencil by the artist, taken from the portfolio "Copa del mundo de Fútbol". Ed. Maeght, Paris. 150 signed proofs, 20 copies off the coast and 10 artist's copies. This one is numbered 101/150 on the lower left and signed on the lower right.

The poster of the city of Madrid, which hosts seven matches in the two stadiums it provides, is certainly one of the most successful of the series. Born in Madrid, Arroyo left his country in 1958, at the age of 21, to escape Franco's regime. He settled in Paris where he produced his first paintings. His style will be seen as the foundation of narrative figuration, which is characterized by an absence of depth and large flat areas that replace the decor.

"El Portero", which he painted for Madrid for the 1982 World Cup, is no exception to the genre. On a bright yellow background, we see from behind a man whose cap suggests that he is a goalkeeper. One thinks irresistibly of Ricardo Zamora, the famous goalkeeper of the Spanish team from the 1920s and 1930s, whose rare black and white photos show him with a large cap screwed on his skull.

The series of posters for the 1982 World Cup in Spain remains one of the most remarkable, with each of the twelve host cities having commissioned a different artist of renown.

Excellent condition, 60x95cm.