This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery setting. The painting measures 78 x 35 inches and 81 x 38 inches with frame. Known for his hyperrealist nudes and portraits, Jose Borrell captures both the human form and emotions. Transcending beyond mere documentation, Borrell transmits the personality and essence of his subjects. His latest series focuses on twentieth century American jazz saxophonist Ben Webster, and true to Borrell's signature trait, the paintings transmit the vibrant energy of the acclaimed musician. Born in 1909 in Kansas City, Missouri, Ben Webster studied violin in elementary school and taught himself piano. After a friend introduced him to basic chords on the saxophone, he devoted himself to the instrument and played with many emerging orchestras in the bustling 1930s Kansas City jazz scene. Known affectionately as The Brute or The Frog, he had a signature raspy tone on lively songs, yet on ballads played with calm sentiment. He played with Duke Ellington's orchestra from 1935 to 1943, after which he maintained a solo career and toured across the US and in Europe. Upon his death in 1973, he is regarded as one of the three most important swing tenors along with Coleman Hawking and Lester Young. An avid fan of jazz music, Borrell pays homage to Ben Webster's legacy in this new series. The works present a departure from his signature realist style and instead depict Webster in gestural form with a minimalist black and white palette reminiscent of the vintage photographs of the musician. The reductionist style lends an energetic, emotional view of the jazz legend and heightens the sensory experience upon viewing the portraits.
