“Sentado sobre Bola” is a substantial mixed-media work on paper signed Costus de O., presenting a compact yet powerful study of balance, gesture and pictorial economy. The figure, seated atop a spherical form, is modelled through a limited but highly considered palette of reds, pinks and cool aquas. The composition privileges silhouette and contour over anecdotal detail, producing a visual shorthand in which posture and surface become the primary conveyors of meaning. The image reads as both emblematic and narrative, simultaneously evoking notions of precarious poise and rhythmic stability.
Technically, the piece demonstrates Costus’ facility with mixed media on paper: layered applications of pigment create subtle shifts in opacity while bold black outlines articulate anatomical transitions and define spatial relationships. The white sphere functions as a pictorial fulcrum, giving the composition a clear centre of gravity and allowing the artist to explore how form and negative space interact within a compressed field. The paper support contributes a matte, intimate surface quality that foregrounds brushwork and modulation, making the materiality of the work an active participant in its visual logic.
Formally, Sentado sobre Bola negotiates a precise balance between stylisation and structural observation. The crouched figure’s limbs are rendered with confident economy—each line and colour choice serving to clarify volume and rhythm rather than to replicate naturalistic detail. This restrained formal approach is typical of Costus’ production in which graphic clarity and chromatic audacity are deployed to create immediate visual impact. The resulting image is legible at a glance yet rich on inspection, with painterly subtleties that reward close viewing.
From a curatorial and collecting standpoint, the work is representative of Juan Carrero Galofré’s contribution to the Costus partnership during a period when the duo consolidated a recognisable pictorial language. Signed Costus de O., the piece carries documentary value within their oeuvre and is particularly relevant for collectors focusing on late-20th-century Spanish figurative practices. Its dimensions (69 × 49 cm) make it suited to both focused gallery presentations and intimate private displays where its vivid chromatic presence can operate as an anchor within an assembled group of works.
In summary, Sentado sobre Bola exemplifies Costus’ ability to distil figuration into a concentrated visual statement: a synthesis of gesture, colour and contour that operates simultaneously as symbol and study. Its technical assurance, compositional clarity and distinctive graphic identity render it a compelling acquisition for institutions and collectors interested in the duo’s defining aesthetic strategies.
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