"The contemporary painter has become accustomed to the freedom of choosing a painting. However, when you receive a commission and it's the one you need, it's a wonderful stimulus". This is what the painter Antonio López said today at Museo Universidad de Navarra, where he is teaching until Friday, March 13, together with Juan José Aquerreta, the IX Painting Workshop: Masters of figuration.

The main novelty of the workshop, in which some thirty students have participated, has been its location: the Museo Universidad de Navarra. A place that Antonio López has defined as a building made "with enormous sensitivity", as well as the works that are housed in it.

The painters, who were welcomed by the Museum's director Jaime García del Barrio, have started the workshop with the assembly of three still lifes with seasonal products on which they will work throughout the week: pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, thistle, garlic, veal bones, eggs, two roasted chickens, pickles, flowers and plants. "Throughout history there have been changes in the concept of still life. From one by Zurbarán to one by Cézanne there is a difference, but in the end it is a matter of being able to paint it with taste and to place it in a stimulating way," Antonio López pointed out.

The activity is directed by the professor of the School of Architecture Inmaculada Jiménez and organized by the Cultural Activities Service of the academic center.

Regarding the themes to be worked on in the workshop, the teacher said he did not have a definite program: "It is an adventure that has no recipe". And he added: "It's like when you start a painting. You know a lot of things, but you have to leave room for novelties". Participants will have the opportunity to share tips, techniques and individual explanations with the artists.

The painter Antonio López, Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts (1985), Velázquez Award for the Plastic Arts (2006) and Prince of Viana Award for Culture (2012), has been teaching this workshop since 2006. Antonio López is considered one of the representatives of Spanish realism and is one of the most sought-after painters in the market. In 2011 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Navarra.

Juan José Aquerreta, winner of the 2003 Prince of Viana Culture Prize and 2011 National Plastic Arts Prize, is also a member of the Council of Culture of Navarre.

Colloquium with Antonio López and Juan José Aquerreta

Likewise, Antonio López and Juan José Aquerreta will take part on March 11 in a colloquium on 'The painting as a commission or voluntary work'. José Ángel Medina, director of the School of Architecture, will be in charge of presenting the event, which will be moderated by Santiago Aurell, historian and director of the Business and Humanism Institute of the academic center.

It will be held in the Theater of the Museum of the University of Navarra at 7 p.m. and is open to students, professors and employees of the academic center, as well as citizens of Pamplona and the media. Admission is free after picking up a ticket at the Museum's reception desk from Friday, March 6, at 10 a.m. until Wednesday, March 11, at 6:45 p.m.