Cayetano de Arquer Buigas was born in Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, on January 11, 1932. He came from a family of Catalan nobility on the Arquer side and artistic prominence on the Buigas side. His maternal grandfather was the architect Cayetano Buigas, who designed the Monument to Columbus in Barcelona.
His adolescence was spent between Madrid and Sardañola del Vallés. From childhood, he showed a strong inclination for drawing. He was a companion of filmmaker Carlos Saura, with whom he shared a love of photography. He later established a photography business in Barcelona with film director Carlos Durán and publisher Jorge Herralde.
At age 27, he held his first exhibition at his uncle Ignacio de Arquer’s restaurant in Cabrera de Mar. From there, he went on to exhibit in several national and international galleries. He was a self-taught artist who developed his skills through dedication and study.
His work is very extensive, with his main theme being women, especially their napes. He also painted portraits, landscapes, nudes, horses, and maternities. He worked in pastel, oil, and charcoal, becoming recognised as one of the best pastelists of his time.
He is considered one of the most representative heirs of 19th-century Catalan painting and French Impressionism. His style features an elegant and sober colour palette with a strong balance between composition and subject matter. His work is intimate and timeless.
“Arquer Buigas is possibly one of the most representative heirs of the best Catalan painting of the 19th century and of French Impressionism through an elegant and sober colour palette and a enormous balance between composition and the choice of his subjects.”
His works are held in private collections across Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 2011, one of his works was selected among 50 pieces for the BP Portrait Award exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London. He passed away on September 13, 2012, at the age of 80.
Q: What is Cayetano Arquer Buigas best known for in his paintings?
A: He is best known for his depictions of women, particularly their napes or nucas, which he considered the most sensual part of the female form. He also painted portraits, nudes, horses, maternities, and landscapes with equal mastery using pastel, oil, and charcoal techniques.