The composition presents a female profile rendered with extreme sobriety. However, it is precisely this apparent simplicity that reveals a carefully calibrated construction. The face, isolated against a neutral background, emerges through a compact modelling. It is achieved by the use of sand mixed with colour too, giving the surface a controlled material quality. In “Profile of a Girl”, furthermore, the incisive mark of Xavier Bueno and the restrained chromatic range, dominated by greys and earthy tones, accentuate the introspective character of the image.
The Spanish-born artist, active mainly in Italy, is known for an essential and meditative figurative painting style developed within the context of twentieth-century realism. After early experiences linked to more expressionist suggestions, he progressively moved toward a research based on the solidity of forms and the centrality of the human figure. Consequently, his portraits do not aim at descriptive resemblance, but rather at an inner and timeless rendering.
Therefore, this “Profile of a Girl” stands as a representative work of the poetics of Xavier Bueno: a measured, silent, and dense painting in which matter becomes an instrument of visual concentration and emotional reflection. The work also retains a documented exhibition and collecting provenance, further enhancing its historical and collecting interest.
Description: Mixed media, oil and sand on canvas, signed upper left, bearing on the back the artist’s signature, stamp of Galleria d’Arte “Estense” – Ferrara, “Arte Fiera 75” label, and inventory number “47 X”, H cm 19.5×24.5 – with frame H cm 42.5×47.5×5.5.
Provenance: Galleria Estense – Ferrara; Private Collection – Bologna.
Hammer Price: € 3.500,00
Auction 89 – December 16th 2025 – Modern and Contemporary Art
All works by Xavier Bueno presented at auction
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