Fernando Zóbel: Order is Essential

“Order is essential," the transcontinental Fernando Zóbel once remarked. This philosophy guided both his artistic practice and his methodical exploration of the world. Yet, within this order, his work reveals a tension between structure and spontaneity.

This survey of his art invites you to travel with Zóbel to North America, Asia and Europe, where he practised from the 1940s to the 1980s. You will see his fascination with art history and American Abstract Expressionism in Boston and Rhode Island, his experiments with the syringe as a device for painting in Manila, his deft compositions of black paint on white canvases in Madrid, and his homage to the landscapes of Cuenca. As we trace his travels across the world, we will discover how modernism took different forms in each place and time.