Who painted Painting no. XLV?

Painting no. XLV was painted by TÀPIES Antoni in 1957.

Where can I see Painting no. XLV?

Painting no. XLV is held by Turin Gallery for Modern and Contemporary Art.

What movement is Painting no. XLV?

Painting no. XLV is associated with Abstract Expressionism.

Artwork

Painting no. XLV

TÀPIES Antoni , 1957

Painting no. XLV is a paint painting by the Abstract Expressionist artist TÀPIES Antoni. It dates from 1957 and is held in the collection of the Turin Gallery for Modern and Contemporary Art. Painting no.

About this work

Overview

Painting no. XLV, executed by the Catalan artist Antoni Tàpies in 1957, belongs to the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The work is dominated by a deep, almost black field that conveys a sense of void, while a faint, indistinct form appears near the lower right corner, barely emerging from the surrounding darkness. A modest gold strip outlines the canvas, giving the piece a subtle frame.

Subject & Meaning

The composition offers no explicit narrative; instead, it invites contemplation of absence and materiality. The barely perceptible shape at the edge suggests a hidden presence, perhaps a face or an object, emerging from the shadows, prompting viewers to consider what lies beyond the visible surface. The overall darkness and the faint hint of form create an atmosphere of introspection and mystery.

Technique & Style

Tàpies applied paint in thick, uneven layers, employing a tactile impasto technique that alternates between rough, raised areas and smoother, subdued sections.

Tàpies applied paint in thick, uneven layers, employing a tactile impasto technique that alternates between rough, raised areas and smoother, subdued sections. The heavy application generates a palpable texture, while the gold border is rendered with a finer, more controlled hand. This contrast between dense materiality and delicate edging characterizes the artist’s experimental approach to surface and depth.

History & Provenance

Created in the late 1950s, Painting no. XLV entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings sometime after its completion, though the exact acquisition date is not recorded in the available sources. Its presence in an ethnographic institution reflects the museum’s broader interest in works that explore material culture and the physicality of artistic media.

Artist & collection

Artist

TÀPIES Antoni

Antoni Tàpies made dense, textured paintings that feel like walls unearthed. He used grit, marble dust, and scrawled marks to build surfaces that suggest both decay and creation. In Painting no. XLV (1957), cracked…

Museum

Turin Gallery for Modern and Contemporary Art

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