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an image of a painting of a native man sitting on the groundan image of a painting of a native man sitting on a rocka painting of a man holding a book with chains on itan old wooden frame with a rope hanging from it ' s side
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46 - Pedro Centeno Vallenilla (1904–1988) Presumed portrait of Se…
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Estimate €4,000 - €6,000
Sale commission
Description
Pedro Centeno Vallenilla (1904–1988) Presumed portrait of Serge Lifar as Nezahualcóyotl, 1933 Oil on canvas, signed, dated and located in Rome in the lower right-hand corner 80 x 65 cm Provenance: > Private collection, Paris Condition report: Framed. Missing sections, scratches, a hole. That year, Centeno Vallenilla exhibited at the Charpentier Gallery in Paris, in one of his first exhibitions, whilst Serge Lifar had been ballet master at the Paris Opera since 1930. This painting belongs to an important period in Centeno Vallenilla’s work, linked to the Indigenous Renaissance movement, a trend that developed in Latin America in the 1920s and 1930s. At that time, the artist was engaged in the search for a unique cultural identity, drawing inspiration from his indigenous roots and re-evaluating indigenous elements as an expression of Latin American modernity. Similarly, the work reflects Centeno Vallenilla’s interest in the dialogue between different artistic disciplines. The presumed depiction of Serge Lifar, one of the leading figures of 20th-century ballet, evokes a form of expression that was beginning to gain recognition in Venezuela. In the decades that followed, ballet underwent significant development in the country, with the establishment of schools, companies and internationally renowned figures, becoming, on a par with other artistic expressions such as painting, an essential component of Venezuelan cultural identity. Subsequent academic studies have also explored the homoerotic dimension of his artistic output.
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About the sale Gold & Jewellery • Art Deco & Design • Antique, Modern & Contemporary Art • African & Asian Art
Auction location
Auction time 07/18/2026 at 10:30 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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