Noureddine also known as Portrait of a Young Man

Claudio Bravo is known for his classically inspired and meticulously crafted paintings and drawings which often recall references to Greco-Roman art and iconic old master works. In this work Bravo returns to a familiar subject--that of the athlete who like his art historical forerunners assumes a heroic status. The figure is depicted in a decidedly academic stance or pose that while in repose accentuates his physical strength and perfection. Bravo's treatment of the figure is equally reminiscent of ancient sculpture as well as Renaissance and Baroque masters. Likewise his portrayal of the male subject along with his diaphanous and rich layering of color and tonal gradations to create depth and volume are particularly evocative of works such as Caravaggio's imposing painting of St. John the Baptist. Here Bravo not only conflates the athlete's heroic prowess with those of a mythological or religious deity, but in the process secularizes and transports him into a contemporary realm that suggest the role that sports personalities and other celebrities have come to represent in modern society. But ultimately, here as in elsewhere, Bravo's work is far more concerned with the pursuit of the formal possibilities of figurative painting and visual representation inspired by his ongoing fascination with classical art. As the artist well states, "The ancients desired to reach what no one else has even tried for--a state of precision and exactitude. I know that's impossible to achieve this in my work, but throughout my entire life it's what I have been vainly trying to obtain . . . even knowing that I can never get there."[1]

1) Edward J. Sullivan, "Conversation with Claudio Bravo" in Paul Bowles, et al., Claudio Bravo: Paintings and Drawings (1964/2004). New York: Rizzoli, 2005, 146.