Focus on the exhibition: Isabel Quintanilla’s Intimate Realism

Friends of the Thyssen have the chance to discover one of the key figures in contemporary realist painting, Isabel Quintanilla (1938-2017), through a guided tour of the galleries of this first retrospective devoted to a Spanish woman artist at the museum.

Quintanilla’s painting is the result of an absolute mastery of technique and of skill acquired at different art schools but above all the consequence of a lengthy and ongoing working process. She always referred to the constant struggle involved in resolving the problems posed by painting to all artists who wish to make use of it in order to experience reality in a different way.

The selection of works on display offers a fascinating survey that introduces visitors to the “world of Quintanilla”: filled with her most personal possessions, with the intimacy of the rooms and spaces in her different houses and studios and with her family and friends. This is a world in which visitors will recognise settings and objects that will trigger their emotions, which was one of the artist’s constant aims. As Quintanilla herself said on numerous occasions, painting was her life and her life was painting.

In addition, Friends have the option to enjoy an unguided visit of the exhibition in the company of a guest on 25 February, the day before the inauguration.