The abstract painter, Pablo Palazuelo (Madrid, 1915-Galapagar, Madrid, 2007) will feature in a small exhibition, linked to the Masaveu Collection. 20th Century Spanish Art. From Picasso to Barceló exhibition, which forms part of a programme created by the María Cristina Masaveu Peterson Foundation in which invited works by 20th century artists represented in the Masaveu collections are presented from time to time. The exhibition can be visited from 19 February to 3 May.
The exhibition is made up of two pieces by Palazuelo, a painting and a tapestry, which highlight the diversity of techniques through which his work is represented in the Masaveu collections. As a special tribute to him, Room 9 will bring together the immaterial investigation of geometry on the canvas for which this artist is best known, and an exercise in the translation of this mental process to an ancestral material, such as wool. Thus, the painting De Somnis IX, 2nd Time, 2002, is joined by Tapestry on the Work Orto V, 1975–1978. This latter piece is proof of the increasing focus on tapestries in acquisitions for the Masaveu collections.
These two works enter into a dialogue with the painting displayed in Room 11 of the Masaveu Collection. 20th Century Spanish Art. From Picasso to Barceló exhibition, the sculpture Élan Formé No. 2 (Tribute to Bachelard) dating from 1977, in the context of Spanish geometric abstraction in the second half of the 20th century.
Pablo Palazuelo is considered to be one of the abstract painters most interested in researching geometries from a purely intellectual perspective. His work is characterised by the study of shapes and the importance he gave to the material, demonstrated by his choice of techniques, inks and types of canvas or paper for his paintings, drawings and engravings, as well as the metals and other materials he selected for his sculptures.
His interest in tapestry, not so well known by the general public, led him to work with the renowned tapestry-maker, Josep Royo, in the 1970s. What was really outstanding in the case of Palazuelo is that he delved into the world of tapestries without him ever abandoning the refined sense of the line that characterised his painting.
Image Credit:
- Pablo Palazuelo, De Somnis XI, 2nd Time, 2002 (Detail). María Cristina Masaveu Petterson Foundation’s Collection © Pablo Palazuelo, VEGAP, Madrid, 2026
