








“ “Women’s beauty is something that is romantic; every artist has painted it with great relish.” ”
Fernando Botero
This unique edition shows Saura’s passionate, personal side, in which his drawings create an illuminating dialogue between two artists of universal stature.
ARTIKA, in conjunction with the Fondation Archives Antonio Saura, has produced an edition of Baltasar Gracián’s masterpiece El Criticón illustrated by the Aragon-born artist. A series of sketches comprising views and landscapes from this classic of Spanish literature, as interpreted by the painter.
Saura is at his most creative here, condensing the elements he habitually uses in his work into a unique, outstanding limited edition of 998 numbered copies.
This impressive volume, bound in black cotton cloth, contains Gracián’s texts alongside facsimile reproductions of Saura’s 36 illustrations.
The work includes a Study Book which covers Gracián’s life and work clearly and informatively, as well as examining Saura’s career and including correspondence by the artist to provide context.
The two books come in a box made from aluminium and black lacquered wood – two tones that evoke Saura’s palette. The box’s original design leaves the print on the cover of the volume visible, and can be converted into a lectern for displaying the book when open.
A collection of enormous visual power which represents an exceptional homage to one of the great Spanish artists of the 20th century.
Working in conjunction with the Fondation Archives Antonio Saura, the proofs are analysed and the printing plates corrected.
Each illustration is checked by experts and then approved or discarded. The stochastic screening technique ensures faithful reproduction of the original.
The reproductions, printed on Modigliani Insize paper, are secured onto each page using three drops of glue.
Owing to the size of the book, a semi-manual sewing machine is used to sew the sheets together.
The cover of the book is bound by hand with black cotton cloth, and features an illustration of the artist.
Experts oversee and check the assembly of the wooden box, which can also be used as a lectern for the book.
The box’s insert is protected by a fingerprint-resistant screen, a piece that combines skilled craftsmanship with an exclusive design.
The title of the work is screenprinted by hand on the cover. Meanwhile, as it is die-cut into the top, the name of the artist is given greater emphasis.
Printed in five colours on special 300g paper, the prints are all numbered and bear the seal of the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation.
Black lacquered wooden box
Text screen-printed on black poster board, and hand-sewn with cotton thread
Printed in five colours on Tatami White paper, 200 g
(1930-1998) Considered one of the great Spanish artists of the 20th century, Saura was a self-taught painter and author. Throughout his life, he shared his time and space with well-known artists such as Eduardo Chillida and his compatriot Antoni Tàpies. He started painting and writing in Madrid in 1947 while recovering from an attack of tuberculosis that left him immobilised for five years, and from his earliest days his personal style was distinguished by its oniric, surrealist nature.