“Puente de plata,” 2024
To achieve hyperrealism in a painting, an artist must display confidence in texture. Without it, the canvas could appear flat, dull, and even uninviting. Artist Antonio Santín has mastered this technique, clearly showing he can paint surfaces so rich it’s as though viewers can reach out and touch them.
Living and working in Madrid, Santín specializes in paintings of ornamental rugs. These works take the artist months to complete, and overflow with microscopic details, bold patterns, and vibrant colors. Though he studies real rugs to understand how they fold, move, and catch light, the designs Santín ultimately paints are derived from his own imagination.
Throughout the past two years, Santín has further honed his technical skills, the result of which is the focus of his seventh solo exhibition at Marc Straus Gallery in New York. The show demonstrates the painter’s ability to reproduce rugs with astonishing accuracy and precision, now accomplished with a new methodology.
“Paint applications measured in millimeters are applied with the assistance of compressors and needles,” Marc Straus, who represents Santín, describes. “He builds layer upon layer.”
When viewed up-close, it becomes clear that Santín’s paintings are, in fact, composed of thousands of tiny dots, swirls, and shapes, meticulously arranged to achieve a harmonious pattern from afar.
The exhibition, titled Puente de Plata or “silver bridge,” is currently on view at Marc Straus Gallery until March 1, 2025. To discover more about the artist, follow Antonio Santín on Instagram.
Artist Antonio Santín specializes in hyperrealistic paintings of ornamental rugs, each replete with microscopic details and bold patterns.
“Momo,” 2024
“Momo,” 2024 (detail)
“Rocamadour,” 2024
“Puente de plata,” 2024 (detail)
Santín achieves this effect with paint applications measured in millimeters, a testament to his precision and patience.
“Victoria,” 2024
“Victoria” (detail)
“Victoria” (detail)
“Carambola”
“Carambola” (detail)
Watch a clip of the painter’s incredible process.
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Antonio Santín: Puente de Plata at Marc Straus Gallery in New York explores the artist’s exceptional technical skill across his rug paintings.
“Rocamadour” (detail)
“Aldealengua,” 2024
“Yuncler,” 2024