Another of Antonio López’s great subjects is the tree, which, beginning with The Grapevine (1955) has reappeared so often in his work, in the form of drawings of quinces and other fruit trees. The tree is the reverse of the city and its antidote: the intimacy of the small garden in contrast to the vast urban landscape; in contrast to a view that is aerial and distant, one that is close, tactile, touching the contours of branches, leaves and fruits.
Following his drawings of interiors from the sixties, focusing on planes of light and shadow, around 1970 the artist returned to a more traditional form of drawing, emphasizing outline. In his images of quince trees, the material substance of the fruits, leaves and branches evaporates, leaving only a very subtle residue, like filigree or lace-work. The artist compares his drawings of trees with maps. Their lines form a labyrinthine, fractal geography; a territory of cracks and fissures.
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- Quince Tree, 1961. Oil on board. 49.5 x 50 cm. Private collection. © Antonio López. VEGAP. Madrid, 2011.
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- Quince Tree. Poniente 3, 1988. Pencil on paper. 73 x 87 cm. Azcona Collection. © Antonio López. VEGAP. Madrid, 2011.
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- Quince Tree, 1992. Oil on canvas. 105 x 119.5 cm. Seville, Fundación Focus-Abengoa. © Antonio López. VEGAP. Madrid, 2011.
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- Pumpkins, 1994-1995. Pencil on paper. 72.7 x 90.8 cm. Madrid, I.C.O. Collections. © Antonio López. VEGAP. Madrid, 2011.