Modern and Contemporary Art

A celebrated Chilean painter, Claudio Bravo was renowned for his hyperrealist still lifes and figurative painting. He received no formal artistic training but was influenced by Baroque and Surrealist styles. Often blurring the line between reality and illusion, Bravo captured everyday objects and scenes with astonishing precision. He found early success in portraiture, painting numerous prominent political figures, including the Marcos Presidential family of the Philippines and Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Bravo’s portraits appealed to the conservative Spanish public under Franco’s rule.In addition to portraiture, Bravo would also paint sitters' pets, often adding trompe l'oeil elements to the work which would later become his signature. Inspired by packages brought over by his sitters, Bravo began a fascination with the forms and texture of paper. His signature works depicted crumpled paper, paper bags and paper-wrapped packages tied with string. The popularity of these works freed him from the need to take portrait commissions and prompted him to move to New York where he achieved new levels of artistic acclaim. In 1970, Bravo had his first exhibition at the Staempfli Gallery in New York and received rave reviews. His works are held various permanent collections including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art.