Barrio Escalante, San José

Visits by appointment only

Schedule a visit (opens the scheduler)
Una Extraña Lección de Dibujo en el Viejo Bus, by Rafael Fernández. A dense, absorbing nocturnal blue dissolves the physical boundaries of space, merging the metallic interior of a bus with the open sky, where a faint crescent moon marks the height of the night.
1 photo · 1 video

Rafael Fernández

Una Extraña Lección de Dibujo en el Viejo BusInquire about availability

Year
2012
Technique
Oil/Canvas
Dimensions
135 × 180 cm
Status
Inquire about availability
Palette
ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, cadmium yellow, lime green, flesh pink
Brushwork
Dense brushstrokes with defined impastos, superimposed linear drawing, and vibrant contrasts of pure color.

Curatorial analysis

A dense, absorbing nocturnal blue dissolves the physical boundaries of space, merging the metallic interior of a bus with the open sky, where a faint crescent moon marks the height of the night. Within this suspended atmosphere, a grid of silver tubes and handrails structures the canvas, dividing it into compartments that function almost like vignettes of a shared memory. Instead of the prosaic hustle of urban transit, the scene gathers an enigmatic chorus of female presences, adorned with ceremonial headdresses, tiaras, and jewelry that contradict any notion of everyday life.

The focal point concentrates on the profile figure dressed in a luminous yellow blouse, whose warmth breaks the cool dominance of cobalt and ultramarine. Holding a piece of chalk or charcoal between her fingers, the woman seems to conduct a lesson that is as much an artistic exercise as a magical evocation. Before her, a small child emerges from a schematic silhouette, while mirrored faces, diverging gazes, and transparent profiles float over the implied windowpanes, suggesting that the drawn and the real coexist on the very same plane.

The paint asserts itself with generous tactile impasto, visible in the textures modeling floral headdresses, golden crowns, and the unexpected presence of a feline perched on an overhead rack. A sulfurous, greenish glow radiates from behind the central figures, bestowing a spectral vibration that heightens the theatrical nature of the scene. The old bus ceases to be a terrestrial vehicle and transforms into a wandering studio, a dreamlike vessel where the true journey unfolds upon the surface of the paper and within the absorbed gaze of its travelers.

Una Extraña Lección de Dibujo en el Viejo Bus

More works by Rafael Fernández

57 works

Available works

View all 57 works by Rafael Fernández

Similar works

By subject, palette and style

Message the gallery on WhatsApp

Cookies

We use cookies to learn how the site is used and to show the gallery's ads on other platforms. They are only turned on if you accept them.