An Artist between Spain and America: The Commitment of Painter José Luis “Pasajes” to Art during the Republic and Franquism

Abstract

This article analyzes the life, exile, and artistic work of the republican painter José Luis Fernández Martínez (also known as Sarralde- “Pasajes” painter) under the republican government and the ensuing Franco regime. Enlisted as a volunteer in the Army of the Republic, he worked in the Culture Section of the General War Commissariat alongside other artists. He survived the victors by masking his past during the postwar period and facing the ravages of a Spain shrouded in darkness during the early years of Franco’s rule. He was lucky enough to embark on an early journey to America, in 1945, and brave enough, in the face of Franco’s government, to make friends with Republican exiles in Mexico. There, he married and raised a family. Since then and for long years he resided between the two shores. His brush portrayed illustrious characters from the field of culture and politics during the Republican government, the Franco regime, and the Republic of Mexico; but also other Republican exiles or characters related to the cause in America. Through his art, he demonstrated a unique ability to bridge two starkly contrasting worlds.