Xavier Valls

“Lac de Zoug”, 20th Century Oil on Canvas by Spanish Artist Xavier Valls

1969

Francesc Xavier Valls Subirà (18 September 1923 in Barcelona – 16 September 2006 in Barcelona) was a Spanish painter. He learned the technique of painting with Charles Collet, a Swiss sculptor, who gave him private lessons. In 1949 he established his residence in Paris, where he moved in the environment of the Spanish painters displaced to the French capital. There he participated in Young Painting (Jeune Peinture) exhibitions with Bernard Buffet, Maurice Boitel, Daniel du Janerand, André Vignoles, Michel-Henry and other well-known painters. Initially interested in cubism, he evolved towards abstract art and ended up moving to figurative art, where he was compared to Francisco de Zurbarán for the precision and simplicity of his lines and the excellence of his still lifes. His work can be found in several museums in Spain and France, mainly the Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum, the Juan Gris Gallery, the Lanzarote Museum of Contemporary Art, the Faro de Cabo Mayor Art Center Museum, Santander and the Font National d' Art Contemporary of Paris. His awards include Commander of Arts and Letters in France, 1979; the Prix Drouant Critics Award in Paris; the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts obtained in 1993; National Prize for Plastic Arts of the Government of Catalonia. He is the father of Manuel Valls, former Prime Minister of France. He married the Swiss Luisangela Galfetti, sister of the renowned architect Aurelio Galfetti. Xavier Valls died on September 16, 2006 at his home in Horta, Barcelona, ​​at the age of 82.