A Spanish Visionary: Pancorbo’s Artistic Journey
Welcome to the Art of Loving Italy website,
Here I wax on wildly and enthusiastically about art and Italy. But that doesn’t mean my posts will always focus on Italian art or Italian artists. The Art of Loving Italy is a mentality – a way of seeing the world and all the beauty in it. I, therefore, intend to celebrate all creative endeavors brought to life by a collective of global artists, past and present – who make the world a better and more interesting place to be.
Alberto Pancorbo, a contemporary Spanish born painter.
Alberto Pancorbo, a contemporary Spanish-born painter, has an extraordinary way of perceiving the world and translating it onto canvas. His paintings are mesmerizing, filled with surreal imagery that blurs the line between fantasy and reality.
Born in Soria, Spain, in the 1950s, Pancorbo developed an early fascination with art and pursued painting with unwavering dedication. At eighteen, he moved to Barcelona, where he immersed himself in classical and modern influences, drawing inspiration from Spanish masters such as Velázquez and El Greco, as well as surrealist pioneers like René Magritte and Salvador Dalí. These influences shaped his unique artistic style, blending dreamlike surrealism with a refined sense of romantic realism.
Surrealism and Emotion: The Dreamlike World of Pancorbo
Surrealism, at its core, seeks to tap into the unconscious mind, bringing forth images that defy logic and rationality. It replaces structured reasoning with raw emotion, presenting bizarre, poetic, and mysterious compositions. Pancorbo embraces this tradition, creating paintings that feel simultaneously illogical and deeply evocative.
His canvases are filled with rich colors, flowing textures, and enigmatic figures that seem suspended between reality and imagination. Each piece invites the viewer to step inside, to explore its depths, and to uncover hidden meanings woven within the layers of paint. His mastery of light and shadow, combined with a meticulous attention to detail, enhances the dreamlike quality of his work.
Bizarre, illogical, and absurd images that are also poetic and mysterious.
Pancorbo’s paintings evoke a sense of wonder, as if they exist beyond the physical world, in a realm where emotions, memories, and fantasies converge. Like Dalí’s melting clocks or Magritte’s enigmatic figures, his art challenges perceptions and encourages introspection. His ability to balance surrealism with romantic realism creates a dynamic tension, drawing viewers into an immersive, otherworldly experience.
Bizarre, illogical, and absurd images that are also poetic and mysterious.
For me, Pancorbo’s paintings are more than just visual works—they are portals to new dimensions of thought and emotion. Each time I look at one, I feel as if I could step inside, float within the fluid colors, and allow the painting’s mysteries to unfold before me.
Whether you are drawn to the strange and surreal or the poetic and mysterious, Pancorbo’s art offers a journey into the subconscious, where beauty and the unexpected intertwine.
As we all carry around different personal experiences, and yes, baggage — I believe each of Pancorbo’s canvases contains a private and personal message for each of us, thus making each painting a unique experience for every viewer — and that is the beauty of surrealism.
Here is one person’s view of Pancorbo’s painting: Il Salotto di Rossana. They paired this painting with the poem I translate beneath this image.
“It is an impossible love,” I say to you.
“E’ un amore impossibile,” ti dico.
But you realize you smile when you look at me, and you see that I smile if I see you.
Ma scopri che sorridi se mi guardi, e scopro che sorrido se ti vedo.
“At night” – you confess – “I think of you.”
“Di notte” – tu confessi – “io ti penso.”
I think about you, day and night and I wonder if you are thinking about me, while I’m thinking about you.”
Ti penso giorno e notte e mi domando se stai pensando a me, mentre ti penso.”
“Society has rules, duties, but you tremble when I squeeze your hands.”
La società, le regole, i doveri, ma tremi quando stringo le tue mani.
“Is it better to be happy, or better to conform?” I ask you.
“Meglio felici o meglio allineati?” ti chiedo.
And your smile lights up the day, changing the color of my every thought.
E il tuo sorriso accende il giorno, cambiando veste ad ogni mio pensiero.
“This is an impossible love,” I say to you.
“Questo amore è possibile,” ti dico.
“This is a love that is possible,” you say to me.
“Questo amore è possibile” mi dici.
