Damas y caballeros: Manolo Valdés

Manolo Valdés

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Manolo Valdés is one of the most prolific and internationally recognised Spanish artists of our time. From painting and engraving to large sculptures, Valdés’ style spans multiple disciplines and is rooted in a revision and reinterpretation of the history of art, a creative dialogue with the geniuses of the past, from Velázquez, Matisse and Rembrandt to Goya and Picasso.

Damas y caballeros: Manolo Valdés is an exclusive artist’s book, a numbered edition of 998 copies signed by the artist. It is an exhilarating journey through Valdés’ career, offering insights into his techniques, inspirations, and influences.

The artist was engaged in every step of the process, an involvement embodied by his creation of one of his iconic resin meninas, each with an irregular finish, pores and cracks that make it perfectly unique.

The piece also features two volumes that are protected in an elegant cloth-covered case with the artist’s name silkscreened on the front. Together, it forms a set with the figure of the menina to create a work of art in itself.

The Art Book features 53 paintings, engravings, and collages that represent his most significant periods, each meticulously selected by Manolo Valdés and reproduced in the most exquisite quality. A unique collection that encapsulates the wisdom of the great masters, channelling the colours and techniques of times gone by that Valdés masterfully reimagines through his contemporary vision, achieving that unique fusion of past and present.

Meanwhile, the Study Book compiles insights and analyses from prominent experts in the field of art, including Guillermo Solana, the artistic director of the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza; María Toral Oropesa, exhibition curator and cultural manager for museums and institutions; and Kosme de Barañano, Art History professor at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, who conducted an exhaustive analysis of the 53 engravings featured in the Art Book.

Manolo Valdés has actively participated in every stage of creating this piece, from hand-picking the engravings to designing the menina, and personally signing each copy.

Both books are bound by hand. The cover of the Study Book showcases an image of Manolo Valdés in his workshop.

The Art Book’s cover, back cover, and spine are elegantly lined with fabric and feature images of the ladies and gentlemen that play a prominent role in the artist’s work.

The 53 engraving prints are carefully and individually attached to the Art Book using three glue points, ensuring that they can be both enjoyed and preserved in optimal condition.

The numbering and stamp of authenticity and provenance appear on the back of each print.

The wooden case is covered in grey cloth. Valdés’ signature is embossed on the cover, which is secured with a neodymium magnet clasp.

The process of crafting the menina begins with an original model carved from aged wood, meticulously incorporating natural “noises” and cracks, mirroring the artist’s monumental sculptures.

This wooden model is covered in silicone to create the mould, ensuring that even the tiniest details are faithfully preserved.

Once the mould is prepared, it is coated with a blend of transparent thixotropic resin infused with blue pigment, and then left to cure and harden.

Once it has hardened, the resin-dyed mixture is carefully taken out of the mould, revealing the distinctive figure of a blue menina.

Each individual figure is then meticulously sanded and polished by hand to achieve a flawless finish that enhances every intricate detail and renders every piece truly irreplaceable and unique.

The case housing both volumes seamlessly integrates with the figure, creating an exclusive work of art that encapsulates the essence of Manolo Valdés.

Art Book

• Bilingual edition: Spanish and English.

• 128 pp. on Tintoretto Gesso 200 g paper, black + Pantone 411 U.

• Three-piece hard cover. Cover: Toile Canvas 38051 Neige cloth, offset printed using 4 inks + varnish; spine: Brillianta 4219 cloth (blue); 3 mm cardboard, one side white cover, back cover in grey cardboard.

• 53 sheets in 200 g two-sided matte-coated paper. All die-cut, with different sizes (maximum size: 26 x 38 cm). Printed in 4 colours (UV inks)

• Page size: 40 x 40 cm (15.74 x 15.74 lb).

• Weight: 4.090 kg.

Study Book

• Monolingual edition (two versions: in Spanish or English).

• 200 pages + flyleaves. Pages: Symbol Tatami White, 135 g, vol. 1.27. Printed in 4/4 ink colours + varnish. Flyleaves: White Geltex LS,180 g

• Cover printed in 2/0 with soft touch anti-fingerprint matte lamination.

• Rounded corners on both pages + cover.

•Measurements: 35 x 35 cm (13.77 x 13.77 lb).

• Weight: 2.030 kg.

Case + figure

• 10 mm DM wood case, lined with Dubletta 3255 fabric with the signature of Manolo Valdés silkscreened in 2 inks and a reproduction on fabric of a detail of the engraving Reina Mariana VIII (2001, ed. 50).

• Interior: black high density foam nest. Neodymium magnet closure.

•Measurements: 48.1 x 48.1 x 6.9 cm - 18.93 x 18.93 x 2.71 lb (height x width x depth). Case weight: 2.390 kg.

• Figure created by Manolo Valdés. Made of crystalline polyester resin dyed blue.

•Measurements: 33.5 x 44 x 31.5 cm (13.18 x 17.32 x 12.40 lb). Figure weight: 10.830 kg.

•Total weight of the books and case: 19.35 kg.

(Valencia, 1942) Following an early stint at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in his native Valencia, Manolo Valdés embarked on his adventure as a painter. He was a member of Equipo Crónica art group in the 1960s and 1970s, wielding art as a tool for advocacy. He resumed his solo career after the group dissolved, settling in the burgeoning hub of global art, New York, where a temporary stay turned indefinite. Ranging from painting, collage and engraving to sculpture, Valdés’ work revisits, reinterprets and celebrates the history of art through creative dialogues with the great masters of the past.