"Lope De Aguirre" Etching of Spanish Conquistador by Carlos Poveda

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"Lope de Aguirre" Etching of Spanish Conquistador by Carlos Poveda (Costa Rican b.1940.)

This dry point etching by Carlos Poveda … Read more "Lope de Aguirre" Etching of Spanish Conquistador by Carlos Poveda (Costa Rican b.1940.)

This dry point etching by Carlos Poveda depicts the notorious Spanish conquistador Lope de Aguirre, also known as "El Loco." This piece is typical of Poveda's early work which was notable for his expressionistic linework and focus on the human form. In this portrait, Aguirre has one eye fixed on the viewer while his splayed and almost crooked fingers hold a partially unrolled scroll. His figure primarily occupies the bottom half of the composition, creating a slightly off-kilter feel to the piece.

Titled, numbered, and signed along bottom:
"'Lope de Aguirre' 6/50 C. Poveda 71"

Carlos Poveda is a self-taught Latin American artist from Costa Rica, currently based in Paris, whose career spans decades of continuous experimentation and innovation in visual arts. He gained early recognition in the 1960s for his expressionist figurative drawings, earning accolades such as the National Prize for Painting in Costa Rica and an Honorable Mention at the VIII São Paulo Biennial. His evolving artistic journey led him from paper to canvas, and eventually to three-dimensional works using wood, plastics, aluminum, and other materials. In the 1990s, he developed "wall sculptures" and later his acclaimed “Domestic Landscapes,” which reimagined still life as sculptural abstraction. With exhibitions across the Americas and Europe, and honors from institutions like the French Senate and the Costa Rican Art Museum, Poveda’s body of work reflects a deep commitment to material exploration and a redefinition of traditional artistic categories. See less