artist
Modest Cuixart
birth
Barcelona, Spain, 2-11-1925
death
Palamós, Spain, 31-10-2007
last update
23-04-2025
Self-taught, in 1948 Modest Cuixart founded the group Dau al Set (1949–51) together with Joan Brossa, Joan Ponç, Arnau Puig, Antoni Tàpies and Joan-Josep Tharrats, a Catalan avant-garde group that, at the height of the Franco regime, promoted artistic modernity, as well as a form of magic reality with an element of mystery. Cuixart's first painting is the result of a fertile oniric imaginary and an experiment in parallel worlds. It is meticulously drawn and includes a keen sense of symbology. In the mid-fifties, with his stays in Paris and Lyon, he gravitated toward Informalism, exploring textures and reliefs, new materials such as gold pigments, silver and metal emulsions, and new techniques such as drip painting. Cuixart incorporated all kinds of objects in the canvas, which led him to a very personal Pop art that was close to the assemblages of the neo-Dadaists, with very dark works and convulsive figures. Faithful to his visionary themes, in the seventies and eighties he returned to figuration with erotic and magical human figures. The nineties finally saw a return to nature.

He exhibited continuously from the fifties in spaces such as the Museu de Mataró (1955), Cercle des Beaux-Arts, Paris (1951), Museo Nacional de Arte, Buenos Aires (1960), Arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona (1998), Museu d'Art, Girona (2006) and Museu Can Mario, Palafrugell (2007). In 1959, he won first prize at the São Paulo Biennial and participated in the Documenta in Kassel. In 1960, he took part in a Spanish avant-garde exhibition at the Tate Gallery, London, and the Guggenheim Museum, New York. Retrospective exhibitions of his work include those held at the Palau Robert, Barcelona (1991) and Centro Cultural de la Villa de Madrid (1995). His work is included in the collections of MoMA, New York, Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, and MACBA, Barcelona, among others.
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works

50 results
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Sense títol
s.d.
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Sant Celoni
1942
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Composició
1946
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Morfologia ondulant
1947
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[0538_001_hist / Imatge] Joc de cartes
see detail
[0344_002_rgb / Imatge] El Pescallunes
see detail
[4830_001_rgb_l / Imatge] 4830_001_rgb_l.jpg
see detail
Composició del càntir
1949
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Composició
1950
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Sense títol
1950
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[4457_001_rgb_l / Imatge] 4457_001_rgb_l.jpg
see detail
Circ
1950
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[0345_001_hist / Imatge] 0345_001_hist.tif
see detail
Cavallista
1950
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Marion
1952
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[0348_001_hist_l / Imatge] 0348_001_hist_l.jpg
see detail
Dama roixa
1953
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Composició
1953
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Paleta de pintor
1953
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Marion i el mar
1954
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[0914_002_rgb / Imatge] Rostre blanc
see detail
Composició
1954
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Número 5
1954
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Composició
1955
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[0943_001-tif-Duplicat 2 / Imatge] La muntanya negra
see detail
El bodegón ilustre
1959
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[1131_001_rgb / Imatge] Pintura
see detail
Eteros
1960
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[0078_001_hist / Imatge] Composició
see detail
[0944_001_rgb / Imatge] Sense títol
see detail
Suite de Fando et Lys
1965
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[0945_001-tif-Duplicat 1 / Imatge] Scorpy, Scorpium
see detail
[1054_001_rgb / Imatge] Formes
see detail
Homenatge a Pompeu Fabra
1969
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Retrat de J.C.
1969
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Estúpida víctima
1976
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Injusta mutil·lació de Bascuña
1976
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Un dels savis de Vila Trista
1976
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Injusta advertència
1978
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Saphos
1979
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Rostre
1979
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Madelette
1979
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Max Februs
1979
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Saltorina
1979
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Maternitat o la geometria del cor
1979
Modest Cuixart
see detail
[2087_001_pub_l / Imatge] 2087_001_pub_l.tif
see detail
Insòlita damisel·la
1986
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Sense títol
1986
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Fruits de capvespre
1991
Modest Cuixart
see detail
Carpeta "XXV Artistes Catalans. Pavelló de Catalunya Expo'92"
1992
Rafael Bartolozzi
see detail
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Sense títol
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Sant Celoni
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Composició
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Morfologia ondulant
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[0538_001_hist / Imatge] Joc de cartes
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[0344_002_rgb / Imatge] El Pescallunes
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[4830_001_rgb_l / Imatge] 4830_001_rgb_l.jpg
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Composició del càntir
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Composició
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Sense títol
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[4457_001_rgb_l / Imatge] 4457_001_rgb_l.jpg
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Circ
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[0345_001_hist / Imatge] 0345_001_hist.tif
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Cavallista
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Marion
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[0348_001_hist_l / Imatge] 0348_001_hist_l.jpg
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Dama roixa
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Composició
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Paleta de pintor
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Marion i el mar
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[0914_002_rgb / Imatge] Rostre blanc
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Composició
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Número 5
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Composició
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[0943_001-tif-Duplicat 2 / Imatge] La muntanya negra
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El bodegón ilustre
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[1131_001_rgb / Imatge] Pintura
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Eteros
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[0078_001_hist / Imatge] Composició
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[0944_001_rgb / Imatge] Sense títol
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Suite de Fando et Lys
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[0945_001-tif-Duplicat 1 / Imatge] Scorpy, Scorpium
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[1054_001_rgb / Imatge] Formes
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Homenatge a Pompeu Fabra
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Retrat de J.C.
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Estúpida víctima
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Injusta mutil·lació de Bascuña
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Un dels savis de Vila Trista
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Injusta advertència
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Saphos
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Rostre
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Madelette
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Max Februs
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Saltorina
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Maternitat o la geometria del cor
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Insòlita damisel·la
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documents

58 results
Carta : Santo Domingo (República Dominicana), a Modest Cuixart, Girona, 1999 abr. 1
document
1999
A.JBR.03494.140
Carta : Barcelona, a Joan Guitart [i.e. Joan Guitart i Agell], [Barcelona], 1992 abr. 9
document
1992
A.JBR.03352.002.088
Grups Dau al Set, Sílex
document
1984
A04008
Dau al Set [Edició facsímil (Art-3). Núm. 6]
document
1981
A.JTH.0394
Dau al Set [Edició facsímil (Art-3). Núm. 42]
document
1981
A.JTH.0505
Dau al Set [Edició facsímil (Art-3). Núm. 42]
document
1981
A.JTH.0504
Dau al Set [Edició facsímil (Art-3). Núm. 6]
document
1981
A.JTH.0395
Dau al Set [Edició facsímil (Art-3). Núm. 6]
document
1981
A.JTH.0396
Dau al Set [Edició facsímil (Art-3). Núm. 42]
document
1981
A.JTH.0506
Dau al Set [Edició facsímil (Leteradura). Núm. 6]
document
1977 - 1978
A.JTH.0099.006
Exposición Surrealismo : del 23-12-64 al 11-1-65, galería de arte Grises, Bilbao : originales de Cuixart, Dalí, Jardiel, Millares, Miró, Ponç, Saura, Tàpies, Tharrats / [texto: J.M. Moreno Galván]
document
1965
A01069
Carta : Barcelona, a Joan Brossa, Ciutat [i.e. Barcelona], 1964 febr. 6
document
1964
A.JBR.02247
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1963 gen. 16
document
1963
A.JBR.02250
Nota : [Barcelona], a Brossa [i.e. Joan Brossa], 1963 febr. 28
document
1963
A.JBR.04014.013.033
El perro del hortelano / [texto de Luis González-Robles ; ilustración de Modesto Cuixart]
document
1963
A05733
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1959 febr. 16
document
1959
A.JBR.02259
Carta : Canes (França), a Joan Brossa Cuervo [i.e. Joan Brossa], Barcelona, 1958 febr. 3
document
1958
A.JBR.02320
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1958 juny 23
document
1958
A.JBR.02255
Carta : Lió (França), a René Metras i Mavet, Barcelona, 1957 febr. 21
document
1957
A.JBR.02240
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1957 des. 13
document
1957
A.JBR.02251
Carta : Lió (França), a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1957 nov. 18
document
1957
A.JBR.02252
Carta : París, a Brossa [i.e. Joan Brossa], Barcelona, 1957
document
1957
A.JBR.02263
Carta : Lió (França), a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1957 maig 3
document
1957
A.JBR.02239
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1957 juny 22
document
1957
A.JBR.02256
Esborrany de carta : [París], a Cuixart [i.e. Modest Cuixart], [1956]
document
[1956]
A.JBR.03528.110.031
Esborrany de carta : [París], a [Modest Cuixart?, 1956]
document
[1956]
A.JBR.03528.084
Carta : Barcelona, a Joan Brossa, París, 1956 maig 2
document
1956
A.JBR.02265
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1956 juny 4
document
1956
A.JBR.02261
Esborrany de carta : [Barcelona], a Cuixart i a Mariona [i.e. Modest Cuixart i Mariona Goday], 1955 nov. 17
document
1955
A.JBR.03511.142
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1955 febr. 11
document
1955
A.JBR.02246
Carta : Zuric, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1955 febr. 9
document
1955
A.JBR.02257
Carta : Lió (França), a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1955 juny 29
document
1955
A.JBR.02253
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1955 jul. 2
document
1955
A.JBR.02254
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1954 set. 30
document
1954
A.JBR.02258
[Nadala de J. V. Foix, 1953]
document
[1953]
A.JBR.03511.128
Dau al Set [núm. 42]
document
1952
A.JBR.03511.023
Dau al Set [núm. 42]
document
1952
A.JTH.0279
Dau al Set [núm. 42]
document
1952
A.JBR.03511.055
Dau al Set [núm. 42]
document
1952
A.JTH.0280
Dau al Set [núm. 42]
document
1952
A03521.001
Esborrany de carta : [Barcelona], a Cuixart [i.e. Modest Cuixart], [1951?]
document
[1951?]
A.JBR.03492.001.010
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1951 abr. 6
document
1951
A.JBR.00393
Carta : Lió (França), a Joan Brossa, [Barcelona], 1951 gen. 19
document
1951
A.JBR.02260
Carta : Lió (França), a Joan Brossa, Barcelona, 1951 gen. 31
document
1951
A.JBR.02241
Carta : París, a Joan Brossa Cuervo [i.e. Joan Brossa], Barcelona, 1951 març 28
document
1951
A.JBR.02379
Esborrany de carta : [Barcelona], a [Antoni Tàpies i a Modest Cuixart], [1950 des.]
document
[1950]
A.JBR.00198.041
Esborrany de carta : [Barcelona], a Cuixart i a Mariona [i.e. Modest Cuixart i Mariona Goday], [195-]
document
[195-]
A.JBR.03511.146
Carta : [Barcelona], a Mariona i a Modest [i.e. Mariona Goday i Modest Cuixart], 1950 nov. 2
document
1950
A.JBR.03511.154
Carta : [Barcelona], a Cuixart [i.e. Modest Cuixart], [195-?]
document
[195-?]
A.JBR.03511.156
Esborrany de carta : [Barcelona], a Antoni Tàpies i a Modest Cuixart, [1950 des.]
document
[1950]
A.JBR.03528.019
Esborrany de carta : [Barcelona], a Antoni Tàpies i a Modest Cuixart, [1950 des.]
document
[1950]
A.JBR.00419
Carta : París, a Brossa [i.e. Joan Brossa], Barcelona, 1950 des. 10
document
1950
A.JBR.02264
Dau al Set [núm. 6]
document
1949
A.JTH.0192
Dau al Set [núm. 6]
document
1949
A.JTH.0193
Nota : [Barcelona], a Joan Brossa, [1949?]
document
[1949?]
A.JBR.00193.001
Esborrany de carta : [Barcelona], a Cuixart [i.e. Modest Cuixart], [194-?]
document
[194-?]
A.JBR.03511.178
Esborrany de carta : a Cuixart [i.e. Modest Cuixart], [194-?]
document
[194-?]
A.JBR.03511.177
Esborrany de carta : a Cuixart [i.e. Modest Cuixart], [194-?]
document
[194-?]
A.JBR.03511.179