Barrio Escalante, San José

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Beso de gatos, by Francisco Munguía. Two felines rehearse a mythical choreography upon a bed dotted with wild flowers.
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Francisco Munguía

Beso de gatosInquire about availability

Year
2020
Technique
Oil/Canvas
Dimensions
50 × 50 cm
Status
Inquire about availability
Palette
gold, warm brown, orange, corn yellow, black
Brushwork
Defined contour lines with tactile relief of dots and flat decorative motifs.

Curatorial analysis

Two felines rehearse a mythical choreography upon a bed dotted with wild flowers. In place of the solemn lovers of Viennese modernism, Francisco Munguía transposes the most celebrated embrace in pictorial history into a territory of zoological tenderness, where the gravity of the canon dissolves into a deliberate, affectionate caricature driven by an unwavering graphic pulse.

The dark, dominant body of the cat on the left, rendered in deep ochres and an armor of black, white, and golden rectangular blocks, solidly envelops the reclining figure. She, a feline with a serene yellow face, receives the gesture wrapped in a cloak of concentric circles, bright orange bursts, and floral spirals. This formal dialectic, which confronts masculine orthogonal rigidity with feminine botanical sinuosity, replicates the symbolic architecture of the classical reference yet strips it of mystical drama through simple arched lines for closed eyes, absent whiskers, and exposed paw pads that ground the scene in domestic play.

The golden background does not function as a flat void. Munguía activates it through tactile relief, tiny beads of oil paint, and suggested tesserae that catch the light from multiple angles, turning the space into an almost Byzantine mosaic. That ornamental density contrasts with the lower tapestry, where a tiny, vibrant meadow of multicolored dots provides an earthly anchor. The oil, applied with graphic crispness along the contours and an abundance of meticulous detail within the interiors, builds a lively surface that oscillates between medieval illumination, stained glass, and contemporary popular illustration.

By appropriating a universal visual monument, the painting does not pursue cynical parody but rather a celebration of shared devotion. The kiss ceases to be a tragic drama of romantic possession, transforming into a warm haven: a moment of feline stillness where exuberant ornamentation shelters the simple pleasure of physical touch.

Beso de gatos

More works by Francisco Munguía

42 works

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