Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 3

Helios Gomez
Avenir (To Come) form Días de Ira (Days of Wrath) — Anti-Fascist Modernism

1929-1930

About the Item

Helios Gomez, 'Avenir', 1929-1930. Signed in the matrix, lower right and numbered '23', upper left corner. Letterpress relief print after the original drawing, with text in black ink on buff, wove paper; the full sheet with margins. Slight toning at the sheet edges, otherwise in very good condition. From the vintage suite of 23 numbered prints, titled in five languages with Spanish verses in linotype. Matted to museum standards, unframed. As published in 'Días de Ira' (Days of Wrath), a portfolio of 23 drawings and poems on the “Spanish White Terror” by Spanish artist Helios Gómez, his first publication. Accompanied by an introduction by the 'Socialist International' and with a foreword by Romain Rolland. Printed in Berlín in 1930. Image size 7 13/16 x 5 7/8 inches; sheet size 12 7/8 x 9 1/4 inches. ABOUT THE ARTIST "Free art from representational conventions and make it live from its own dynamism; make the spectator feel the emotion of an idea thanks to pure abstract plastic art: that is, in short, my artistic aspiration... I wanted to touch the people through art". — Helios Gómez. Helios Gómez (1905–1956) was born in Triana, Seville, into a working-class Calé (gypsy) family. He received his training at the Seville Industrial Arts and Crafts School and the Cartuja factory as a painter and decorator of ceramics. His initial works were published in the anarchist Páginas Libres, and he illustrated books by local authors like Rafael Laffon and Felipe Alaiz. In 1925, he showcased his work for the first time at the Kursaal in Seville, followed by exhibitions in Madrid at the Ateneo and in Barcelona at the Dalmau Gallery the subsequent year. Gómez became increasingly aware of the need for political change, aligning himself with anarchist groups and committing to express his political beliefs through his art, writing, and speeches. His artistic career allowed him some acceptance in broader Spanish society, which still primarily viewed Romani identity as acceptable only through creative expression. Unfortunately, anti-Romani sentiment persisted, reflected in critical reviews and media coverage. His early illustrations for anarchist writer Felipe Alaiz and exhibitions at radical spaces like Café Kursaal marked the beginning of his activism. In 1927, due to his political involvement, he had to flee Spain and travel across Western Europe, connecting with avant-garde art movements and the labor movement. This experience significantly influenced his work, which incorporated elements of cubism, expressionism, and futurism. Upon returning to Spain in 1930, he settled in Barcelona and collaborated as a printmaker with the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo. Gómez later renounced anarchism and joined the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), believing that the international communist movement was the most effectively organized force opposing the rise of fascism. He participated in communist rallies and was imprisoned in Barcelona's Model prison. During the Spanish Civil War, he fought with the Communist Party. He gave an interview to the leftist magazine Crónica, where he spoke about the anti-fascist cause and praised the Soviet Union for its integration of Romani people. By 1938, he had rejoined the anarchist movement and worked on the design of the newspaper El Frente. After fleeing the country during the Nationalists' Catalonia Offensive, he was interned in French concentration camps. In the aftermath of the war, as details of the Romani Holocaust started to emerge, he embraced his Romani identity more openly, especially after his imprisonment under the Franco dictatorship. He spent time in Model prison from 1945 to 1946 and again from 1948 to 1954, during which he focused on writing. He produced two essays, including one on Romani art, two historical novels, an autobiographical epic poem titled ‘Erika’, and over 100 poems, embedding Romani themes throughout his work. His poetry was published posthumously in 2006 as part of the ‘Poemas de lucha y sueño' collection. Recognized primarily for his graphic art, historians María Sierra and Juan Profundo emphasize his significant role in visually representing Spanish workers and anti-fascist themes during the 1930s. Along with Mariano R. Vázquez, Gómez exemplified Romani involvement in the Spanish anarchist movement. His son, Gabriel Gómez, has been instrumental in recovering and promoting Helios Gómez's works through the Associació Cultural Helios Gómez. His art is represented in the collections at Yale University, Württembergischer Kunstvere in Stuttgart, Germany, and Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.
  • Creator:
    Helios Gomez (1905 - 1956)
  • Creation Year:
    1929-1930
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 7.83 in (19.89 cm)Width: 5.88 in (14.94 cm)
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 1039841stDibs: LU53237645822

More From This Seller

View All
'Corner of Steel Plant' — American Modernism / Precisionism
By Louis Lozowick
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Louis Lozowick, 'Corner of Steel Plant', lithograph, 1929, edition 25, and 10 printed in 1972; Flint 21. Signed, titled, dated, and numbered 'I/X' in penci...
Category

1920s American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

'Cargo Carriers' — New York Harbor
By Otto Kuhler
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Otto Kuhler, 'Cargo Carriers', etching and drypoint, c. 1932, edition 10, Kennedy 44. Signed in pencil. A superb, atmospheric impression with rich burr and selectively wiped overall plate tone, in dark brown ink, on Arches cream laid paper; wide margins (2 to 2 3/4 inches), in very good condition. Printed by the artist. Original Kennedy Galleries mat and label. Scarce. "On my trips up and down N.Y. harbor on the Weehawken Ferry, the late evening sun playing on the side of the big liners has always intrigued me... The liner shown I believe to be the Vaterland of the North German Lloyd...
Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching, Drypoint

'Humming Birds and Orchids' — Vintage White Line Color Woodcut
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Wuanita Smith, 'Humming Birds and Orchids', white-line color woodcut, circa 1930, edition 50. Signed and titled in pencil. Annotated '50 edition', 'no 5'...
Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

'The Lamentation' — Mid-century Modernism, WWII
By Benton Murdoch Spruance
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
'The Lamentation', lithograph, 1941, edition 35, Fine and Looney 198. Signed, titled, and annotated 'Ed 35' in pencil. Initialed in the stone, lower ri...
Category

1940s American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

'Snow Shovellers, New York' — American Modernism
By Clare Leighton
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Clare Leighton, 'Snow Shovellers, New York', 1929, wood engraving, edition 45, Boston Public Library 146. Signed, titled, and numbered '29/45' in pencil. A...
Category

1920s American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

'The Yankee' — America's Cup, 1934
By Jacques La Grange
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Jacques La Grange, 'The Yankee', color woodcut, edition 500, 1934. Signed and numbered '25/500' in pencil. A fine impression, with fresh colors, on cream wove paper, with margins (1 1/8 to 1 1/4 inches), in excellent condition. A work from La Grange’s celebrated series of woodcuts 'Drama and Color in the America's Cup Races'. Image size 10 x 10 11/16 inches (254 x 271 mm); sheet size 12 1/4 x 13 1/4 inches (311 x 337 mm). Archivally matted to museum standards, unframed. When the artist created this print in 1934, the 'Yankee' was one of the most promising yachts eligible for the America's Cup but ultimately 'Rainbow' was chosen to defend against England's 'Endeavor' in that year's race. The 'Endeavor' was built for Thomas Sopwith who used his aviation design expertise to ensure the yacht was the most advanced of its day with a steel hull and mast. She was launched in 1934 and won many races in her first season but the Cup challenge was blighted by a strike of Sopwith's professional crew prior to departing for America. Forced to rely mainly on keen amateurs, who lacked the necessary experience, the campaign failed. 'Rainbow' won the series 4–2. This was one of the most contentious of the America's Cup battles and prompted the headline "Britannia rules the waves and America waives the rules." ABOUT THE ARTIST Jacques La Grange was born in Clanwilliam (near Cape Town) in South Africa in 1895. He studied at London University and later immigrated to the United States. La Grange established himself as a painter, illustrator, and printmaker specializing in nautical subjects. He and his wife, Helen La Grange, published 'Drama and Color in the America's Cup Races' in 1934 and 'Clipper Ships of America and Great Britain 1833-1869', in 1936. Both were deluxe hardcover limited edition volumes with signed original color woodblock prints. La Grange had solo exhibitions at the Buchanan Gallery in 1929; the Babcock Gallery and the 56th Street Gallery, New York, in 1930; and at the Nicholas Roerich...
Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

You May Also Like

Margherita - Gennaio delle Signore - Original Lithograph - 1881
Located in Roma, IT
Margherita - Gennaio Delle Signore Italiane is an original lithograph realized by an unknown artist in 1881. Good conditions.
Category

1880s Modern Prints and Multiples

Materials

Lithograph

Boat - Original Ink Drawing by Robert Naly - Mid 20th Century
By Robert Naly
Located in Roma, IT
Boat is an original Contemporary artwork realized in the half of the 20th Century by Robert Naly (1900 - 1983). Original ink drawing. Hand-signed. Good conditions except for con...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Ink

La Fete a Honfleur
By Fanch (Francois Ledan)
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork, "La Fete a Honfleur" c.1980 is a original colors serigraph on Wove paper by French artist (Fanch) Francois Ledan, born 1949. it is hand signed an...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Landscape Prints

Materials

Screen

Bottles
By Amos Yaskil
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Bottles" 1980 is an original lithograph on Arches paper by Israeli artist Amos Yaskil, b.1935. It is hand signed and numbered XIX/CCXXV in pencil by the artist. ...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Luke Gwilliam (1911-1989), Compote and Fruit, 1950, woodcut
Located in New York, NY
Luke Gilliam has a highly unusual woodcut technique. Here it is used to contain a fruit plate in an impressionistically-inspired environment made up of earth tones. It's a fascinatin...
Category

1950s American Modern Interior Prints

Materials

Woodcut

Paris : Dantzig's street - Original lithograph, HANDSIGNED, 1959
By Fernand Léger
Located in Paris, IDF
Fernand Léger Dantzig's street, 1959 Original lithograph (Atelier Mourlot) Signed with the artist's stamp Limited to 180 copies (Here numbered 160) On Arches vellum 66 x 50.5 cm (c...
Category

1950s Modern Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Recently Viewed

View All