Select the works of the most famous painters of the Flemish school, reinterpret them in watercolor and give it the form of a children’s story with an exquisite and precious workmanship. This is what the veteran artist and illustrator Ana G. Lartitegui has done for her book ‘The … nave de los necios’, published last year by the publishing house A fin de tales and which has attracted attention in recent months in the world of children’s literature for its originality and freshness.
Although she herself defines her work as “marginal” in its conception and in the publishing market to which it is directed, ‘La nave de los necios’ does not stop winning awards, such as that of the Cuatrogatos Foundation in Miami, or that of the libraries of the Community of Madrid; which are added to the grant from the Basque Government for the development of the project, thus accumulating a successful journey that continues now with an exhibition at Azkuna Zentroa, which will exhibit the original watercolors of the work in its Media Library starting this Wednesday.
Lartitegui herself presented the exhibition, together with the director of Azkuna Zentroa, Fernando Pérez, and the Councilor for Culture, Gonzalo Olabarria; and she has explained the project from its genesis, when the author did not expressly seek to give new life to 16th century painting, but rather to tell a story that addressed “silly and grotesque.”
But, as she progressed in the development of the fable that was around her head, the illustrator began to consider taking as reference the paintings of the great Flemish masters. “At one point, the characters in the story reach a river and it occurred to me to emulate Patinir’s ‘Pass of the Styx’ to reflect it,” she explained.
From there, everything came by itself: “I realized that what better reference than flamenco painting to address the topic of foolishness.” And, along that path, Lartitegui filled his story with details taken from classic works by Hieronymus Hieronymus and Brueghel the Elder, some of them as famous as ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’. The result is an authentic visual tribute to this school of master painters, with the reinvention of their works in the form of a children’s book.
One of the illustrations from ‘The Ship of Fools’.
EC
In Azkuna Zentroa it is possible to enjoy the originals of this elaborate work – of course, in low light so as not to damage the delicate watercolors – until next September 29 in the Media Library gallery on the first floor of the cultural center. They are completed with panels where you can see the original paintings by the Flemish painters, as well as other works by the Bilbao artist and elements that have served as inspiration in her work.
