Esteban Lisa, Toledo, Spain, 1981. Courtesy of the Fundación Esteban Lisa
Concurrent with his work in civil service and art education, Esteban Lisa (b. 1895, Spain, d. 1983, Argentina) established a significant—albeit quiet—artistic career. Painting avidly from the 1930s through the late 1970s, Lisa chose not to exhibit his work in public, and thus avoided local recognition. Behind closed doors, however, he produced intimate, compact paintings that are highly expressive, and demonstrate a deep engagement with line and color. Beyond his significant contributions to the visual arts, Lisa was also an avid writer. He authored more than twelve books—many of which were dedicated to his theories on the cosmos—as well as texts on philosophy and space travel.
