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Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

American, 1900-1979

Julio De Diego was one of the most colorful artists to work in Chicago. Born in Madrid in 1900, he left home at the age of 15 to apprentice as a scene painter for theatres. After service in the Spanish army, including six months fighting in North Africa, Diego traveled to Paris and Rome to study art. He also appeared as an extra in Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes. He emigrated to the United States in 1924. He lived in New York for two years, then went to Chicago, where he remained until 1942. At first, he earned a living as a magazine illustrator, decorative painter and graphic designer. By the early 1930s, Diego began to show regularly at the Art Institute of Chicago, appearing at thirty-two annual exhibitions of Chicago Artists, American artists and watercolorists, between 1931–47. He was employed by the easel division of the Illinois Art Project during the mid-1930s. He traveled to Mexico for the first time in 1939, becoming close friends with Carlos Mérida. Diego was deeply affected by the Spanish Civil War, and many of his works reflect the conflict that presaged the Second World War. Meditation over Inexplicable Logic seems to be a kind of preparation for his self-portrait in the Art Institute’s collection, titled The Perplexity of What To Do (1940). Both feature isolated, brooding figures lost in their inability to respond to events. He left Chicago in 1942 but continued to exhibit his work at major institutions. In 1946, Life magazine’s article described him spending time “cooking aromatic Spanish dishes and reading works of Spanish mystical philosophers and poets. He smokes cigarettes incessantly and dresses flamboyantly, affecting cerise mufflers and jangling bracelets.” Diego gained more notoriety in 1948 when he married the great burlesque artist, Gypsy Rose Lee. After their separation and divorce in the mid-1950s, he lived for a time in New York at the Chelsea Hotel, a haunt of artists, musicians and poets. Diego settled in Sarasota, Florida in 1967, near former friends from Chicago, where he died in 1979. Daniel Schulman References “Julio De Diego: He Paints Weird War and Peace.” Life Magazine, March 11, 1946. De Diego, Julio. Pamphlet File P-07866. Ryerson Library, Art Institute of Chicago.

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Artist: Julio de Diego
Homage to the Spanish Republic 1938 oil painting by Julio De Diego
By Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
An early work by Julio De Diego embodies the deep love he had for his homeland of Spain, combined with his strong emotions against war. The peacefulness of the couple holding hands l...
Category

1930s Modern Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Tlaloc and the Tiger oil painting by Julio de Diego
By Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
Tlaloc and the Tiger (1939) Oil on panel 16" x 12" 23 ¾" x 18 ¾"x 2 ½" framed Signed and dated (and inscribed) "de Diego 39" lower left. Provenance: The artist; private collection Ch...
Category

1930s Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Lords of the Sky oil painting by Julio De Diego
By Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
Lords of the Sky (c.1950) Oil on canvas, 30" x 24" 40" x 34" x 2" framed Provenance: The Artist, his daughter About this artist: Julio De Diego crafted a formidable persona within ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ceremonial Dancers oil and tempera painting by Julio De Diego
By Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
Artwork measures 48" x 30" and framed 56 ¼" x 38 ¼" x 3" Provenance: John Heller Gallery, NYC, circa 1975 (label verso) The artist's daughter Corbino Galleries, Sarasota, FL (1990)...
Category

1940s Modern Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil, Tempera

Christmas Turkey & the General's Daughter painting by Julio De Diego
By Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
The artwork measures 18" x 24", and the frame 25" x 29.5" x 1.75". Upon request a video clip of this work may be provided. About this artist: Julio De Diego crafted a formidable per...
Category

1960s Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Tempera, Paper

The Magician oil and tempera painting by Julio de Diego
By Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
Julio De Diego’s Atomic Series paintings made an extraordinary statement regarding the shock and fear that accompanied the dawn of the nuclear age. In the artist’s own words, “Scientists were working secretly to develop formidable powers taken from the mysterious depths of the earth - with the power to make the earth useless! Then, the EXPLOSION! . . . we entered the Atomic Age, and from there the neo-Atomic war begins. Explosions fell everywhere and man kept on fighting, discovering he could fight without flesh.” To execute these works, De Diego developed a technique of using tempera underpainting before applying layer upon layer of pigmented oil glazes. The result is paintings with surfaces which were described as “bonelike” in quality. The forms seem to float freely, creating a three-dimensional visual effect. In the 1954 book The Modern Renaissance in American Art, author Ralph Pearson summarizes the series as “a fantastic interpretation of a weighty theme. Perhaps it is well to let fantasy and irony appear to lighten the devastating impact. By inverse action, they may in fact increase its weight.” Exhibited 1964 Marion Koogler McNay Art Institute, San Antonio, Texas This work retains its original frame which measures 54" x 42" x 2" About this artist: Julio De Diego crafted a formidable persona within the artistic developments and political struggles of his time. The artist characterized his own work as “lyrical,” explaining, “through the years, the surrealists, the social-conscious painters and the others tried to adopt me, but I went my own way, good, bad or indifferent.” [1] His independence manifested early in life when de Diego left his parent’s home in Madrid, Spain, in adolescence following his father’s attempts to curtail his artistic aspirations. At the age of fifteen he held his first exhibition, set up within a gambling casino. He managed to acquire an apprenticeship in a studio producing scenery for Madrid’s operas, but moved from behind the curtains to the stage, trying his hand at acting and performing as an extra in the Ballet Russes’ Petrouchka with Nijinsky. He spent several years in the Spanish army, including a six-month stretch in the Rif War of 1920 in Northern Africa. His artistic career pushed ahead as he set off for Paris and became familiar with modernism’s forays into abstraction, surrealism, and cubism. The artist arrived in the U.S. in 1924 and settled in Chicago two years later. He established himself with a commission for the decoration of two chapels in St. Gregory’s Church. He also worked in fashion illustration, designed magazine covers and developed a popular laundry bag for the Hotel Sherman. De Diego began exhibiting through the Art Institute of Chicago in 1929, and participated in the annual Chicago Artists Exhibitions, Annual American Exhibitions, and International Water Color Exhibitions. He held a solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago in the summer of 1935. Though the artist’s career was advancing, his family life had deteriorated. In 1932 his first marriage dissolved, and the couple’s young daughter Kiriki was sent to live with friend Paul Hoffman. De Diego continued to develop his artistic vocabulary with a growing interest in Mexican art. He traveled throughout the country acquainting himself with the works of muralists such as Carlos Merida, and also began a collection of small native artifacts...
Category

1940s American Modern Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil, Tempera

St. Atomic oil and tempera painting by Julio de Diego
By Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
Julio De Diego’s Atomic Series paintings made an extraordinary statement regarding the shock and fear that accompanied the dawn of the nuclear age. In the artist’s own words, “Scientists were working secretly to develop formidable powers taken from the mysterious depths of the earth - with the power to make the earth useless! Then, the EXPLOSION! . . . we entered the Atomic Age, and from there the neo-Atomic war begins. Explosions fell everywhere and man kept on fighting, discovering he could fight without flesh.” To execute these works, De Diego developed a technique of using tempera underpainting before applying layer upon layer of pigmented oil glazes. The result is paintings with surfaces which were described as “bonelike” in quality. The forms seem to float freely, creating a three-dimensional visual effect. In the 1954 book The Modern Renaissance in American Art, author Ralph Pearson summarizes the series as “a fantastic interpretation of a weighty theme. Perhaps it is well to let fantasy and irony appear to lighten the devastating impact. By inverse action, they may in fact increase its weight.” Exhibited 1950 University of Illinois at Urbana "Contemporary American Painting" 1964 Marion Koogler McNay Art Institute, San Antonio, Texas This work retains its original frame which measures 54" x 36" x 2". About this artist: Julio De Diego crafted a formidable persona within the artistic developments and political struggles of his time. The artist characterized his own work as “lyrical,” explaining, “through the years, the surrealists, the social-conscious painters and the others tried to adopt me, but I went my own way, good, bad or indifferent.” [1] His independence manifested early in life when de Diego left his parent’s home in Madrid, Spain, in adolescence following his father’s attempts to curtail his artistic aspirations. At the age of fifteen he held his first exhibition, set up within a gambling casino. He managed to acquire an apprenticeship in a studio producing scenery for Madrid’s operas, but moved from behind the curtains to the stage, trying his hand at acting and performing as an extra in the Ballet Russes’ Petrouchka with Nijinsky. He spent several years in the Spanish army, including a six-month stretch in the Rif War of 1920 in Northern Africa. His artistic career pushed ahead as he set off for Paris and became familiar with modernism’s forays into abstraction, surrealism, and cubism. The artist arrived in the U.S. in 1924 and settled in Chicago two years later. He established himself with a commission for the decoration of two chapels in St. Gregory’s Church. He also worked in fashion illustration, designed magazine covers and developed a popular laundry bag for the Hotel Sherman. De Diego began exhibiting through the Art Institute of Chicago in 1929, and participated in the annual Chicago Artists Exhibitions, Annual American Exhibitions, and International Water Color Exhibitions. He held a solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago in the summer of 1935. Though the artist’s career was advancing, his family life had deteriorated. In 1932 his first marriage dissolved, and the couple’s young daughter Kiriki was sent to live with friend Paul Hoffman. De Diego continued to develop his artistic vocabulary with a growing interest in Mexican art. He traveled throughout the country acquainting himself with the works of muralists such as Carlos Merida, and also began a collection of small native artifacts...
Category

1940s American Modern Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil, Tempera

Inevitable Day – Birth of the Atom oil and tempera painting by Julio De Diego
By Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
Julio De Diego’s Atomic Series paintings made an extraordinary statement regarding the shock and fear that accompanied the dawn of the nuclear age. In the artist’s own words, “Scientists were working secretly to develop formidable powers taken from the mysterious depths of the earth - with the power to make the earth useless! Then, the EXPLOSION! . . . we entered the Atomic Age, and from there the neo-Atomic war begins. Explosions fell everywhere and man kept on fighting, discovering he could fight without flesh.” To execute these works, De Diego developed a technique of using tempera underpainting before applying layer upon layer of pigmented oil glazes. The result is paintings with surfaces which were described as “bonelike” in quality. The forms seem to float freely, creating a three-dimensional visual effect. In the 1954 book The Modern Renaissance in American Art, author Ralph Pearson summarizes the series as “a fantastic interpretation of a weighty theme. Perhaps it is well to let fantasy and irony appear to lighten the devastating impact. By inverse action, they may in fact increase its weight.” Bibliography Art in America, April 1951, p.78 About this artists: Julio De Diego crafted a formidable persona within the artistic developments and political struggles of his time. The artist characterized his own work as “lyrical,” explaining, “through the years, the surrealists, the social-conscious painters and the others tried to adopt me, but I went my own way, good, bad or indifferent.” [1] His independence manifested early in life when de Diego left his parent’s home in Madrid, Spain, in adolescence following his father’s attempts to curtail his artistic aspirations. At the age of fifteen he held his first exhibition, set up within a gambling casino. He managed to acquire an apprenticeship in a studio producing scenery for Madrid’s operas, but moved from behind the curtains to the stage, trying his hand at acting and performing as an extra in the Ballet Russes’ Petrouchka with Nijinsky. He spent several years in the Spanish army, including a six-month stretch in the Rif War of 1920 in Northern Africa. His artistic career pushed ahead as he set off for Paris and became familiar with modernism’s forays into abstraction, surrealism, and cubism. The artist arrived in the U.S. in 1924 and settled in Chicago two years later. He established himself with a commission for the decoration of two chapels in St. Gregory’s Church. He also worked in fashion illustration, designed magazine covers and developed a popular laundry bag for the Hotel Sherman. De Diego began exhibiting through the Art Institute of Chicago in 1929, and participated in the annual Chicago Artists Exhibitions, Annual American Exhibitions, and International Water Color Exhibitions. He held a solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago in the summer of 1935. Though the artist’s career was advancing, his family life had deteriorated. In 1932 his first marriage dissolved, and the couple’s young daughter Kiriki was sent to live with friend Paul Hoffman. De Diego continued to develop his artistic vocabulary with a growing interest in Mexican art. He traveled throughout the country acquainting himself with the works of muralists such as Carlos Merida, and also began a collection of small native artifacts...
Category

1940s American Modern Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil, Tempera

Untitled
By Julio de Diego
Located in Lawrence, NY
Provenance: Daughter of artist, Fletcher Gallery, Woodstock, NY De Diego was known for his "lyrical" works (his term), which combined elements of surrealism, cubism and the social commentary of the politically active Mexican painters. Born in Madrid in 1900, Julio De Diego left home at the age of 15 to apprentice as a scene painter for theaters. After service in the Spanish army...
Category

1940s Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Tempera

Critics in a red cloud
By Julio de Diego
Located in Miami, FL
Signed lower right . gilt frame some minor surface grime other than that is present very well with strong saturated colors
Category

Mid-20th Century Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Tempera, Oil

Heavenly Phenomena
By Julio de Diego
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Provenance Private collection, Chicago, IL, 1996-present Exhibited Bonestell Gallery, New York, May, 1940 Museum of Modern Art, 1943 (label verso) 42.25 x 34.25 inches framed
Category

1930s Modern Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Board, Oil

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By Lazzaro Donati
Located in Surfside, FL
Lazzaro Donati (Italian, 1926-1977) Oil on board. Colorful woman. La Regina (the Queen) Hand signed upper right. signed, titled on back of panel. Dimensions: (Frame) H 37" x W 29", (Panel) H 27.5" x W 20" Lazzaro Donati was born in Florence and attended the Academy of Fine Arts. He began to paint in 1953, and in 1955 held his first exhibition at the Indiano Gallery in Florence. Within three years eleven exhibitions followed in Italy, and as his reputation grew he was invited to give major exhibitions in London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo. He is considered one of the foremost contemporary Italian painters and his paintings hang in museums and private collections throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. His work is recalling the works of the french Raoul Dufy, Dunoyer de Segonzac, Francois Gall and Jean Jansem. This particular work is reminiscent of the work of Manolo Valdes. Donati lived and worked at 24 Piazza Donatello in Florence, the square where generations of artists have created works worthy of the great Florentine tradition. As you entered the narrow hallway to his studio, a gilded life-size Venetian angel beckoned you to his door. Once inside, the present faded away and you found yourself in an atelier where early masters might have worked during the Renaissance. Within, luxurious Persian rugs set off the innumerable objects d’art and antique furnishings. Light poured in through the sloping glass wall on the north side. A dramatic stairway led to an overhanging balcony which served as a private gallery where the artist hung some of his favorite early works. To the left of the entrance was a smaller studio where Donati sculpted, with a window overlooking the famous old English cemetery where tourists laid flowers on the grave of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. In the main studio itself, where Donati received his clients in an atmosphere as polished as an office of a top executive, one hardly realized that it was here that the artist actually painted. His easel was covered with Persian blue velvet, the painting on the easel was already framed, his chair was upholstered in red velvet and on his palette the colors were arranged with the precision of a Byzantine mosaic. In a corner stand were his latest works, framed and ready to be sent off to his next exhibition in Europe or America. He spoke fluent French and English as well as some Spanish and German. “After all”, he said, “you've got to know how to sell...
Category

1960s Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"The Red Studio" - Surreal Figurative Interior Scene
By Michael Pauker
Located in Soquel, CA
Surreal large-scale figurative abstract depicting two nude female figures in a red interior space juxtaposed by a bearded man seated next to a sculptural bust of a man, with a white skeleton in the foreground by Bay Area artist Michael Pauker (American, b. 1957). Titled "The Red Studio...
Category

Early 2000s Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Reclining Nude
By Joseph Stella
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A painting by Joseph Stella. "Reclining Nude" is a figurative painting, oil on canvas in a bright palette of yellows, greens, and tans by American Modernist artist Joseph Stella. The...
Category

Early 20th Century American Modern Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

American Family III, Oil Painting on Panel by Ramon Santiago
By Ramon Santiago
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Ramon Santiago, American (1943 - 2001) Title: American Family III Year: 1972 Medium: Oil on Panel, signed and dated Size: 40 x 30 inches
Category

1970s Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Previously Available Items
Girl in Interior oil painting by Julio De Diego
By Julio de Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
Julio De Diego was a keen observer of the human condition. This work, painted in Chicago the year of his one-man show at the Art Institute, showcases his powerful vision, daring aesthetic sensibilities, and innate artistic skills. The quiet, steady gaze of the sitter as she nonchalantly relaxes with a disaffected look is almost enough to make the viewer not realize her skin was painted green. A careful assessment of the rest of the painting reveals many elements which appear "normal" at first, but are actually slightly distorted. Skewed perspective is utilized in a purposefully restrained manner - the sign of an artist with confidence - which De Diego had in spades. The sitter's outfit of yellowish/orange skirt paired with a belted green blouse and black Mary...
Category

1930s Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Masonite

Surrealist Figures in a Desert Landscape, Julio de Diego, Chicago Artist Cactus
By Julio de Diego
Located in New York, NY
Julio De Diego Surrealist Figures in the Desert, 1955 Signed and dated lower right Oil on canvas 32 x 27 inches Provenance: Private Collection, Long Island Julio De Diego was one of the most colorful artists to work in Chicago. Born in Madrid in 1900, De Diego left home at the age of 15 to apprentice as a scene painter for theatres. After service in the Spanish army...
Category

1950s Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Kachina II
By Julio de Diego
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Signed lower left by the artist Provenance: Estate of the artist
Category

1940s Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Admirable Cat Analyzed by the Bourgeoisie
By Julio de Diego
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
An original signed Tempera by Spanish artist Julio de Diego (1900-1979), titled "Admirable Cat Analyzed by the Bourgeoisie", c. 1950s. Hand signed lower right. A great image, wonderf...
Category

1950s Surrealist Julio de Diego Figurative Paintings

Materials

Tempera

Julio De Diego figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Julio de Diego figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Julio de Diego in paint, oil paint, tempera and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Surrealist style. Not every interior allows for large Julio de Diego figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Byron Browne, Harold von Schmidt, and Marshall Goodman. Julio de Diego figurative paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $4,500 and tops out at $26,000, while the average work can sell for $20,250.

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