Artist: Leonardo Nierman
Title: La Ciudad en la Nieve (City in the Snow)
Medium: Oil on Board
Frame Dimensions: 28.5" × 21"
Board Dimensions: 22.5" × 15.25"
Date: 1960
Signature: Signed and dated lower right "Nierman 60"
Documentation: Gallery certificate of authenticity from Modern Artifact
"La Ciudad en la Nieve" (1960) is a rare oil on board painting by Leonardo Nierman, executed in a dynamic arrangement of layered brushstrokes and vibrant color. Featuring a snow blanketed city in hues of vibrant orange and yellow, the composition is a noteworthy departure from most of Nierman's city scenes. A study of contrasts, "La Ciudad en la Nieve" is an explosive exploration unlike anything else in Nierman's body of work.
The painting reflects Nierman's early mastery of color and composition, highlighting his interest in the interplay of hue, form, and surface. It demonstrates the principles that would come to define his practice: an emphasis on movement, layered pigment, and the capacity of abstraction to convey rhythm and structure. As such, "La Ciudad en la Nieve" represents an important moment in Nierman's development as a painter and his ongoing engagement with the formal challenges of color, space, and motion.
Over the course of his career, Nierman received numerous international honors, including the Palme D'Or des Beaux Arts of Monaco in 1969 and a lifetime membership in the Royal Society of the Arts in London. His works have been exhibited globally in institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. These exhibitions situate "La Ciudad en la Nieve" within the context of Nierman's broader contribution to mid-20th-century Mexican and international modernism.
Leonardo Nierman's original 1960 oil on board painting measure 22.5 × 15.25 inches and is framed to measure 28.5 × 21 inches. The painting is signed and dated on the front lower right "Nierman 60" and purchase includes a gallery certificate of authenticity.
About Leonardo Nierman
Leonardo Nierman is a seminal figure in contemporary Mexican art, widely recognized for his contributions to abstract painting and sculpture. Born in Mexico City in 1932, Nierman originally trained as a violinist and studied law before committing fully to a career in the visual arts. His early exposure to music profoundly influenced his artistic approach, leading him to treat painting and sculpture as visual expressions of rhythm, harmony, and movement.
Nierman is associated with a form of abstract expressionism often described as "Magical Expressionism," characterized by fluid forms, dynamic compositions, and luminous color palettes. His paintings frequently evoke natural phenomena such as wind, fire, and water, translating energy and motion into visual form. Similarly, his sculptures—crafted in metals such as silver, stainless steel, and bronze—extend his exploration of movement into three-dimensional space, creating works that appear to float or soar.
Over the course of his career, Nierman has exhibited internationally in over 100 exhibitions across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. His works are held in major public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City, the Kreeger Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, among others. In addition to gallery and museum recognition, he has been commissioned for numerous public installations, including monumental sculptures for institutions such as the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, reflecting his enduring impact on both public and private spaces.
Nierman's artistic vision is defined by a synthesis of abstraction, music, and natural phenomena, creating works that combine technical mastery with expressive energy. He continues to be celebrated for his ability to translate the invisible forces of nature into vibrant, dynamic compositions, earning him a lasting place among the most influential contemporary artists in Mexico and the broader international art world.
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