Bodegón mitificado 1973

Angel Planells, a Spanish artist working in the surrealist tradition, created "Bodegón mitificado." During the early to mid-20th century, Spain underwent dramatic political upheaval, including the rise of authoritarian rule and the trauma of civil war. Planells, alongside other artists, explored the subconscious and the irrational through surrealism, perhaps as a response to the oppressive realities of their time. In this still life, Planells subverts traditional representations by injecting elements of the macabre and the absurd. The skull is a potent symbol, and the loaf of bread which pierces through the canvas brings a tactile dimension to the piece. As we confront this still life, consider the emotional weight that these symbols carry. Planells prompts us to consider the relationship between life and death, reality and illusion.