An outspoken critic of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, Spanish painter Antonio Saura is best known for his powerful gestural and calligraphic paintings that reinterpret Spain’s rich artistic heritage. His work often adopts the dark, dramatic palette associated with some of Spain’s most celebrated masters—such as Pablo Picasso, Francisco de Goya, and Diego Velázquez—while his titles frequently allude to their iconic imagery and themes.Largely self-taught, Saura began creating art at the age of seventeen, initially producing dreamlike landscapes influenced by Surrealism. A decade later, in 1957, he co-founded the El Paso Group, a collective of painters, sculptors, and critics dedicated to revitalizing Spanish art in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and World War II.Toward the end of his career, Saura briefly set aside painting to collaborate with his brother, filmmaker Carlos Saura, designing sets for ballet, opera, and theater productions—an interdisciplinary venture that expanded his artistic practice beyond the canvas.