Joaquin Torres-Garcia 1874-1949
Born in the final quarter of the 19th century, Joaquin Torres-García soon ventured beyond the confines of academia to become one of the founding figures of modern art.
An adventurous spirit, he worked in more than twenty cities, crossing the Atlantic four times. Within the broader context of global artistic traditions, Joaquin Torres-García represents a rare synthesis of three paradigmatic continents. He reintroduced the principles of classical tradition revitalized for the modern era. Torres-García’s use of ideograms drawn from daily life—resonates with the later pop art movement, which also drew inspiration from popular culture and mass-produced imagery. His work's exploration of geometric abstraction and the synthesis of diverse cultural influences reflects themes central to contemporary practices. As a writer, he left behind a legacy of more than one hundred and fifty books, essays, and articles.
Selected Artworks
Temple to the Nymphs (Temple a les ninfes) 1901-03
Plastic Object (Objet plastique) 1929
Untitled Composition 19.29 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C
The Family (La familia) 1917 Museu de Montserrat.
Today (Hoy) 1920 IVAM Institut Valencià d’Art Modern
Constructive Fresco with Large Bread (Fresque constructif au grand pain) 1929
Synthesis of New York (Synthèse de New York) 1929 Fundación Malba, Buenos Aires.
Still Life with Fork (Bodegón con tenedor) 1924
New York City: Bird's Eye View 1920 Yale University Art Gallery.
Docks 1929 Yale University Art Gallery.
Black Mask (Mascara Negra) 1928 IVAM Institut Valencià d’Art Modern.
Street of Paris (Calle de París) 1930 Fundación Malba, Buenos Aires.
Constructive Painting (Pintura Constructiva) 1931 The Met Fifth Avenue.
Mujer recogiendo frutos 1926 , Museo Torres-Garcia, Montevideo.
Constructive with White Figure (Constructif avec homme blanc) 1931
Constructive with Compass (Constructif avec boussole)1932 The Centre Pompidou.
Abstract Form with Triangles 1936 Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
Plastic Object (Constructive Composition) 1931The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Constructive Art (Arte constructivo) 1932
Interlaced Forms on a Red Background (Formas entrelazadas en fondo rojo) 1938 Newark Museum of Art.
Infinity No. 1 (Infinito No 1) 1943
Constructive Structure (Estructura constructiva) 1943 The Centre Pompidou.
Initiation of the Drama (Iniciación del drama) 1947.
Constructive Art in Five Tones (Arte constructivo a cinco tonos) 1948.
Construction in White and Black 1938 MoMa The Museum of Modern Art.
The Phantom Ship (Le bateau fantôme) 1940
Composition 1938 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
Constructive Work with Color Planes and Graphic Elements (Constructivo con planos de color y grafismo) 1943 Art Museum of the Americas.
Constructive City with Universal Man 1942 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
