Federico Tormo Monzó. Ink drawing. 24 x 17 cm. "Football Match". 1940s. Hand-signed.
Excellent Valencian draftsman and caricaturist.
Federico Tormo Monzó was born in Pinoso on April 15, 1890, and died in Valencia on September 12, 1971. He moved from his hometown to Valencia at the age of 17, where he settled and studied under Ricardo Verde. Although he had already won first prize for posters advertising the July Fair in 1927, and also received other awards in Granada, his first steps in Valencia were as an illustrator for the sports section of the newspaper "Las Provincias" between 1931 and 1935. He produced series of caricatures of renowned footballers and boxers, directors of Valencian clubs, journalists, and practitioners of other fashionable sports, such as greyhound racing. He stood out for his skill with the pencil when sketching sporting events, which were published regularly. He sometimes signed his drawings with the pseudonym "Motor," which appears in some of his caricatures.
But he didn't limit himself to sports, as he also excelled in his drawings related to bullfighting, caricaturing bullfighters of the stature of Marcial Lalanda, Félix Rodríguez, Vicente Barrera, and Domingo Ortega.
Figures from Valencian culture, such as musicians and writers, were also portrayed by Tormo Monzó in his distinctive style.
After the Civil War, the artist continued drawing, alternating between caricature and painting, capturing the landscapes of the cities he visited, such as Granada, Bilbao, and Zaragoza, in addition to Valencia.
He held numerous solo exhibitions throughout his life, both in Valencia and elsewhere in Spain, and several of his paintings are held in collections abroad, including one in Winston Churchill's private collection.
The painter's style was followed by his only student, José Agustí García, who knew his Artwork and shared his studio for over 25 years.
