Nstor Martn-Fernndez de la Torre

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Nstor Martn-Fernandez
de la Torre (1910)

Nstor Martn-Fernndez de la Torre, generally known simply as Nstor (4 May 1887, Las
Palmas - 6 February 1938, Las Palmas) was a Canarian painter and theatrical designer who worked
in the Symbolist and Art Deco styles.

Contents
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1Biography
2References
3Further reading
4External links

Biography[edit]
He began his artistic development at the age of seven, when he attended the "Colegio San Agustn"
and was given drawing lessons by Nicols Massieu (1876-1954),[1] who would later become a well-
known painter. In 1899, he received his first formal art instruction from the peripatetic Spanish
landscape painter Eliseu Meifrn.
Spring (1910)

When still only fifteen, he received a grant from the city of Las Palmas to study in Madrid, but the
entrance exams for the Academia were too difficult, so he taught himself by making copies in
the Museo del Prado. He eventually found a position in the workshop of Rafael Hidalgo de Caviedes
(1864-1950).[1] He then travelled extensively, visiting Pars, Brussels and London, among other
places, to perfect his technique. While in Paris, he also designed theater sets and clothing.[2]
He established a studio in Barcelona in 1907 and his first exhibition came in 1908, at the "Crculo
Ecuestre", a sporting and social club, where he displayed a series of portraits, influenced by his stay
in England.[2] The following year, he presented four decorative panels at the Sala Pars, which he
had designed for the dance hall in Tibidabo, inspired by the poems of Jacinto Verdaguer.

Hercules (1920)

He continued to exhibit widely, in Paris and London, as well as Madrid. In 1915, he had his solo
dbut as a theatrical designer, creating sets and costumes for a production of El amor
brujo by Manuel de Falla in Madrid. He moved his studios to Paris in 1928 and did more designing
for ballets, operas and other productions, including costumes for Ccile Sorel, Grace
Moore and Conchita Superva.[1]
After more travelling, including excursions through the Spanish colonies in Africa,[2] he returned to
Las Palmas and established a studio there in 1934. In addition to his paintings, he decorated the
"Casino de Tenerife" in Santa Cruz and the "Teatro Prez Galds" in Las Palmas and initiated a
campaign to promote tourism, which he called "Tipismo" (picturesqueness).[1] He died suddenly, from
complications related to pneumonia, leaving several major projects unfinished.
In 1956, the "Museo Nstor" was inaugurated in the city centre of Las Palmas. It is located in the
"Pueblo Canario", a cultural complex designed by his brother, Miguel, an architect. The complex
includes decorations by Nstor and contains the majority of his works.[1]

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e