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Rufino Tamayo — Cabeza en Amarillo (Head in Yellow)
Rufino Tamayo

Cabeza en Amarillo (Head in Yellow)

A striking example of Tamayo's mastery of printmaking, this richly textured work presents a fragmented, abstracted head rendered in warm, luminous yellows punctuated by deeper, earthy tones. The artist's innovative use of carborundum lends the surface a distinctive velvety depth, while the aquatint layers build a complex interplay of light and shadow. Rooted in the traditions of pre-Columbian and Mexican art, Tamayo transforms the human form into a powerful, elemental presence that bridges ancient iconography with modernist expression.

Medium
Etching and aquatint in colours with carborundum, on Guarro paper, the full sheet,

🔨 Auction Lot

Evening & Day Editions

June 9, 2016

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About this work

Rufino Tamayo, Cabeza en Amarillo (Head in Yellow)

A striking example of Tamayo's mastery of printmaking, this richly textured work presents a fragmented, abstracted head rendered in warm, luminous yellows punctuated by deeper, earthy tones. The artist's innovative use of carborundum lends the surface a distinctive velvety depth, while the aquatint layers build a complex interplay of light and shadow. Rooted in the traditions of pre-Columbian and Mexican art, Tamayo transforms the human form into a powerful, elemental presence that bridges ancient iconography with modernist expression.

Medium
Etching and aquatint in colours with carborundum, on Guarro paper, the full sheet,
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Surrealism, Face, 20th Century, Twentieth Century, Carborundum Print, Yellow Palette, Mexican Artist, Vibrant, Male Artist, Established Master, Yellow Tones, Expressionism, Printmaking, Expressive Mood, Mexican, Figurative Art, Modernism, Portrait, Etching and Aquatint, Expressive Style, Expressionist, Modern, Latin American Art, Modern Master, Head, Figurative, Yellow

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