Alberto Reguera. Homage to Aert van der Neer
With the collaboration of:
The paintings presented in this exhibition are by Alberto Reguera (born Segovia, 1961). They take their starting point from a work in the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection: Moonlit Landscape with a Road beside a Canal by the Dutch painter Aert van der Neer (Amsterdam, 1603-1677).
One of the defining characteristics of 17th century Dutch landscape painting is the importance conceded to the sky and clouds in all their infinite variety. This has also been an ongoing focus within Alberto Reguera’s work. In his abstract landscapes the floating pigments add lightness to the pictorial material and suggest subtle atmospheric conditions and luminous effects.
In his own lifetime Aert van der Neer was the most renowned painter of nocturnal scenes, generally moonlit ones, while throughout his career Alberto Reguera has been inspired by the brightness of the night and by dusk. He investigates the effects of light as it filters through the underlying paint layers to reach the surface of the canvas, producing a dazzling effect.
The dimensions of the paintings in this exhibition are based on the proportions of Aert van der Neer’s panel while the thickness of the stretchers has been increased to recall the presence of the frame around the Dutch artist’s work. These decisions reflect Alberto Reguera’s emphasis on the painting as a three-dimensional object that possesses volume and can be observed from different viewpoints.
Curated by Guillermo Solana.
