Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre–Néstor to art lovers– is one of the leading exponents of European symbolist and modernist painting. As an artist he always strove to highlight the grandeur of the setting in the Canary Islands, and his work is considered an exaltation of the Canarian personality and traditions. Many experts have considered his work to be essential for an understanding of the European art movements of the early 20th century.
So it's hardly surprising that many visitors to the Canary Islands take the opportunity to learn more about his work during their stay, and discover his own particular vision of the world, his homage to the islands' light and natural riches and his outstanding artistic merits.
Néstor
Martín-Fernández
de la Torre
THE HEART OF CANARIAN MODERNISM
/
Great international
prestige
Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1887. His artistic talent became evident at a very early age, and he set out in search of new pastures where he could satisfy his curiosity: Madrid, Brussels, London and finally Paris –where he experienced the flowering of Art Nouveau and eventually set up his studio– became the scenarios where he made a name for himself as an artist of recognised international prestige. He was invited to exhibit his works in the leading galleries in Europe and Latin America, and received a number of major awards.
In the early 1930s, Néstor returned to Gran Canaria where he set up his studio and rediscovered his artistic and sentimental roots. This was when he embarked on his towering work, which would ultimately remain unfinished: the Poem of the Elements.
In the early 1930s, Néstor returned to Gran Canaria where he set up his studio and rediscovered his artistic and sentimental roots. This was when he embarked on his towering work, which would ultimately remain unfinished: the Poem of the Elements.
/
An exuberant
and "précieux"
aesthetic
The plastic elements of Néstor's work are drawn from symbolism, and he uses this to create one of the most special aesthetic universes of his time. He constructs an artistic globality –with its roots in a local reality– that transports the spectator back to the legendary origins of the islands. There is no room for stereotypes, localisms or banal folkloric motifs in his work, only mythology and a reinterpretation of the classics.
/
Pueblo
Canario
/
Pueblo
Canario
Pueblo Canario is the great universe of Néstor Fernández de la Torre, a place which clearly reflects the extent to which the Canary Islands were influential in the artist's creation. The project was born with the intention of disseminating Canarian culture among visitors, and was designed in its entirety by Néstor himself. Although he never saw his work concluded, it was completed by following his sketches to the letter. This is a large architectural site in which you can stroll among buildings inspired by traditional Canarian constructions and completely immerse yourself in the island's cultural values.
/
Néstor
Museum
This museum and art gallery was built on the architectural site in 1956 in the neo-Canarian style, and houses most of the artist's work. This space has 12 rooms and offers both temporary exhibitions and the permanent collection where visitors can see his most significant pieces: Epithalamium, the Boy Archer and two collections comprising the Poem of the Elements. The museum also runs a series of guided visits so you can learn more about all the details of his work.
/
Pérez Galdós
theatre
This theatre is one of the best ways of experiencing Néstor's work in all its diversity. After a fire in 1918, the architect Miguel Fernández de la Torre, the artist's brother, commissioned him to decorate the new building. He was responsible for designing the curtain, the stained-glass windows in the stalls, the proscenium arch
This theatre is one of the best ways of experiencing Néstor's work in all its diversity. After a fire in 1918, the architect Miguel Fernández de la Torre, the artist's brother, commissioned him to decorate the new building. He was responsible for designing the curtain, the stained-glass windows in the stalls, the proscenium arch
and a wide variety of frescoes for the different parts of the building. Special mention should be made of the Saint-Saëns hall in which –in addition to the paintings– visitors will note the mark of the artist on the friezes, stained-glass windows, lamps and the small wooden statues. See Pérez Galdós theatre