Tomás de Acillona: Pictorialist Photography Exhibition at Museo del Romanticismo, PHotoESPAÑA

This exhibition at the Museo del Romanticismo, part of PHotoESPAÑA 2018, celebrates Tomás de Acillona, a key figure in early Spanish photography. It features 34 works showcasing his mastery of pictorialist techniques, particularly his experimentation with lighting and materials.

The Museo del Romanticismo presents 'Tomás de Acillona: La experimentación pictorialista' as part of the Official Section of PHotoESPAÑA 2018, highlighting the work of a crucial artist in the origins of Spanish photography. Tomás de Acillona was a virtuoso of technical experimentation in the 1920s, a period when photography aimed to emulate art through techniques and subject matter like still lifes, landscapes, portraits, and costumbrista scenes. Curated by Mikel Lertxundi Galiana, the exhibition comprises 34 photographs divided by theme: 5 portraits, 8 costumbrista scenes, 10 landscapes, and 11 still lifes. Acillona is recognized as a prominent representative of Spanish photographic pictorialism, a movement that often prioritized technique over subject matter. Working with gum dichromate from the mid-twenties and mastering it by 1932, he produced approximately two thousand prints over twenty years. His skillful command allowed him to blend the characteristic impressionistic blurs of pictorialism with precise rendering of textures, specializing in a technique that was already in disuse. Through his portraits, still lifes, and costumbrista scenes, Acillona utilized nostalgia as a primary creative force, making this exhibition a step towards reclaiming his place in the history of Spanish photography.

Entry to this temporary exhibition is free of charge. Visitors can find more information and download images and the festival dossier from the PHotoESPAÑA website.