Barrio Escalante, San José

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Esperanza, by Vernor Gallardo. A descending and serene line organizes this volume in its entirety.

Vernor Gallardo

EsperanzaInquire about availability

Year
2013
Technique
Resin
Dimensions
37 × 20 × 15 cm
Status
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Palette
verdigris green, grayish green, light greenish gray, shadow dark green
Brushwork
Sculptural modeling in resin with a patinated finish and ridged texture areas in the hair

Curatorial analysis

A descending and serene line organizes this volume in its entirety. From the crown of the head to the lower hem of the dress, the female figure traces an extended arc that transforms the weight of the body into a gentle geometric ramp. The seated posture, supported by an austere pedestal that barely emerges, dispenses with gestural drama to focus entirely on the purity of the profile.

The anatomical treatment relies on a rigorous stylization. The slender torso, straight arms, and barely articulated hands resting on the lap direct the eye toward the garment, resolved as a conical bell that falls in broad planes and subtle facets. Contrasting with the smoothness of these bodily surfaces, the hairstyle introduces the sole textural counterpoint: a mass sculpted with deep grooves, gathered back into a winding bun while falling forward over the face, concealing the eyes like a vegetable or textile mask.

This concealment of the gaze shifts expressiveness from individual psychology to the overall attitude of the body. By not revealing the eyes, identity remains suspended, yielding all prominence to the stillness of the posture and the contained tilt of the head. The resin, treated with a patina that evokes the greenish oxidation of weathered bronze, captures light in gentle nuances of verdigris and grey, emphasizing the smooth transitions between planes and casting restrained shadows into the folds.

The sculpture maintains a poetic tension between solidity and evanescence. The gown, rooted to the rectangular base, anchors the figure firmly to the earth, while its upper half thins upward into the air in a gesture of internal retreat. This duality between anchorage and lightness turns the figure into an emblem of quiet waiting, in which external calm harbors a deliberate endurance.

Esperanza

More works by Vernor Gallardo

16 works

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