“The Rape of Europa,” Francois Boucher, 1732-34. Oil on canvas courtesy of the American Federation of the Arts.

NEW YORK CITY – Hollis Taggart Galleries and O. Kelley Anderson Fine Arts will present Jose Escofet’s fourth solo exhibition, featuring 15 recent still lifes, April 11 through May 12, at Hollis Taggart, 48 East 73rd Street.

Escofet, a self-taught artist, was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1930. Over time he has experimented in many mediums, from cement and latex to gouache and – only in this past decade – oil painting. Comfortable with the latter, oil painting permits the artist to achieve profound subtleties of depth by juxtaposing senses of weight and liveliness. This is so vital to Escofet that he researched the chemistry of oil paint to the extent that he is only satisfied if he prepares his materials entirely himself.

Escofet is drawn increasingly into the world of flowers, specifically exploring how they grow and move and share a patch of soil with other living plants and insect life. “Garden Poppies” exemplifies his fixation of the unlimited potentialities of this genre. The cohabitation of the insects within the patch of vibrant poppies is apparent – snails travel amongst the leaves while butterflies flutter about the blossoms.

For many years Escofet has enjoyed the admiration and patronage of a core group of avid collectors in the United States and abroad. A fully illustrated color catalogue is available.

For information, 212-628-4000.