Spanish School Of Social Realism. José Garcia Ortega, "the Table Surrounded By Black"

Spanish School of Social Realism: José Garcia Ortega. Oil on canvas, “The Table Surrounded by Black,” signed and dated “J. Ortega 47” in the upper left corner. 54 x 65 cm. Spanish School.
José Garcia Ortega (1921–1990) moved to Madrid during his youth, where he taught himself to draw. Sentenced to prison in 1947 because of his political activities in Spain, he was subsequently granted a pardon in the early 1950s. He received a scholarship from the French government in 1953 and moved to Paris to study at the École Estienne and the École des Beaux-Arts.
A leading figure in social realism, he founded the group Estampa Popular (Popular Print) in 1958 and distinguished himself particularly through his socially engaged painting, engraving, and printmaking.
José Ortega was arrested in 1947 for his anti-Franco activism within the Communist Party of Spain (PCE).
Although our painting draws on the visual language of Cubism, the subject remains a scene from everyday life.
*Table Surrounded by Black* perfectly captures Ortega’s use of bold, dark outlines while hinting at the heavy atmosphere of that pivotal year for the artist.
Wooden frame with painted and patinated stucco from the period. Good condition.
1,500 euros.