HIGHLIGHT

Antoni Clavé was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1913. From the age of 13, he began working while attending evening classes at the Barcelona School of Fine Arts, where he acquired foundational painting skills and became familiar with various materials. In 1932, after winning a local poster competition, Clavé left his job as a painter and decorator to pursue a career in advertising and decorative arts, experimenting with avant-garde techniques such as collage.

During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), he served as a soldier on the side of the Popular Front and worked on propaganda posters with friends. Following the defeat of the Republican forces, Clavé fled to France, where he continued his artistic practice after the war through illustration and stage design. During this period, he was inspired by painters such as Bonnard, Rembrandt, Goya, and Rouault, and in Paris, he was particularly influenced by fellow Catalan Pablo Picasso.

Clavé’s work in stage and costume design in Paris and London further fueled his creativity, leading to new subjects such as kings, queens, medieval figures, and warriors. This work belongs to his renowned “Kings” series, which he began in the late 1950s and which contributed significantly to his international recognition.

Common to many works in this series is the profile of a crowned king smoking a pipe. While the figure may appear to hold a scepter, many contemporaneous works depict the king holding a flower instead; in this piece, the bright red and green colors suggest a vivid floral element. The series combines authority and elegance with a playful, imaginative spirit. Geometric facial structures and backgrounds reveal Cubist influences, while collage-like elements reflect Clavé’s distinctive style.

Clavé achieved international acclaim, exhibiting in Japan several times and participating in numerous exhibitions and major retrospectives across Europe. He passed away in Saint-Tropez in 2005 and is recognized as one of the central figures of Spanish art following Picasso, Miró, and Dalí.