Juan Carlos Castagnino (1908–1972) / Study Of Horses / Dated 1951 / Charcoal And Red Chalk

Juan Carlos Castagnino (1908–1972) Study of Horses, 1951 Charcoal and red chalk on paper Signed and dated lower left

48 x 60 at sight

This superb Study of Horses testifies to the talent and sensitivity of the great Argentinian painter Juan Carlos Castagnino, a major figure of 20th-century social and poetic realism. Produced in 1951, this work on paper combines charcoal and red chalk to capture with rare intensity the power and grace of horses, symbols dear to the artist and Argentinian culture. Castagnino achieves here a perfect fusion of observation and emotion. The three horses, sketched with a lively and controlled line, stand out in a landscape evoked by rapid hatching. The red chalk brings warmth and life, while the charcoal emphasizes the musculature and tension of the movement. The gray paper acts as a midtone that highlights the natural light of the bodies. The whole exudes the freedom, nobility, and vitality of the Argentine pampas, recurring themes in Castagnino's work.

Juan Carlos Castagnino (1908–1972) Argentine painter, draftsman, and muralist Juan Carlos Castagnino is considered one of the great figures of modern Latin American art. Born in Mar del Plata in 1908, he trained at the Buenos Aires School of Fine Arts before establishing himself as an artist who was both humanist and deeply attached to nature. His work is distinguished by expressive realism and a great poetic sensibility. Castagnino was interested in rural life, workers, and horses—symbols of freedom and vitality. His drawing, masterfully precise, combines powerful lines with warm colors, often created with red chalk, charcoal, or gouache. In the 1950s, he reached full artistic maturity, exhibiting in Argentina and internationally, notably at the Venice Biennale and the São Paulo Biennale. Winner of the Grand Prix d'Honneur at the National Salon, he is recognized as one of the great representatives of Argentine poetic realism. His legacy remains alive today: his works are preserved in numerous museums, including the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires and the Museo Castagnino+macro in Rosario. Castagnino remains an essential reference for lovers of Argentine art and collectors of 20th-century drawings.