Wise Men

Following the first abstract pieces by Santiago Lagunas painted in 1948 which still referred to real figures, for most of 1949, the painter simplified and geometrized his compositions, starting from the antecedents of constructivism and post-cubism. He created highly structured compositions in which black brushstrokes compartmentalize and divide the color areas. The triangle and zig-zag lines organize and construct the painting. This composition is created using thick black strokes which mark off triangular and polygonal shapes in browns and ochres—shapes among which several white lines emerge, as well as a square and white spots. A red circular shape and black cross—potential references to the Star of Bethlehem and Christ—are also embedded in this grid.