Marcelino Vespeira

About

Marcelino Vespeira (1925-2002) was a prominent Portuguese painter and graphic artist, recognized as a leading figure in mid-20th-century Portuguese surrealism. He studied at the António Arroio School of Decorative Arts in Lisbon from age 12, where he met future surrealist peers like Mário Cesariny and Fernando Azevedo, and briefly attended the first year of Architecture at the Lisbon School of Fine Arts. Early in his career, he engaged with neo-realism, exemplified by his 1945 painting *Apertado pela Fome* (Tightened by Hunger), which he exhibited at the 1st General Exhibition of Visual Arts in 1946, earning critical recognition. In 1947, he co-founded the Lisbon Surrealist Group alongside artists such as Cândido Costa Pinto, Fernando Azevedo, Mário Cesariny, and José Augusto França, participating in its sole 1949 exhibition with collaborative *Cadavre Exquis* works.

Surrealism with phases of geometric and lyrical abstraction; erotic, sensual, and ironic imagery blending landscapes, music, and female forms