MARTÍNEZ ORTIZ DE ZÁRATE, NICOLÁS (1907 - 1990)

Nicolás Martínez Ortíz de Zárate was a Basque painter, poster artist, muralist, and engraver whose work stands as one of the most distinctive contributions to 20th-century graphic and pictorial art in the Basque Country. Born in Bilbao in 1907 to a family of engravers, he began his artistic training at the age of ten at the Atxuri School of Arts and Crafts, studying under artists such as Federico Sáenz Venturini, Higinio Basterra, and Ángel Larroque. He also learned lithography in his family’s workshop, laying the foundation for his career in illustration and poster design.
In 1924, he received the Salces Grant from the Bilbao City Council, allowing him to study in Paris at the renowned Académie de la Grande Chaumière. There, he entered avant-garde artistic circles through Paco Durrio and won several poster competitions. His time in Paris shaped his graphic style, marked by formal synthesis, vibrant color, and strong visual impact.
Returning to Bilbao in 1930, he became one of the leading poster artists in the Basque Country. His most notable works include posters for the Vuelta al País Vasco (1930 and 1936), the first Aberri Eguna, San Sebastián’s Great Basque Week, August bullfights (“A las cuatro”), and the Statute of Autonomy campaign. He also created fresco murals for Bilbao’s Restaurante Luciano, the Museum of Las Encartaciones, and the headquarters of Altos Hornos de Vizcaya. His work blended modern aesthetics with Art Deco and Cubist influences, often infused with symbolic references to Basque identity.
During the Spanish Civil War, he collaborated with the Basque Government to design banknotes known as “eliodoros” and helped prepare the Basque presence at the International Exhibition in Paris. After Bilbao fell, he was denounced for his republican ties and endured arrests and interrogations. Later, he worked in the Francoist regime’s Department of Plastic Arts for Press and Propaganda, though his artistic style remained independent and personal.
From the 1940s onward, he focused on easel painting, shifting toward Cubism and costumbrista themes centered on Basque landscapes and people. His paintings, characterized by spontaneous color and structured composition, were first publicly exhibited in 1969 after years of quiet artistic activity. He also illustrated books and continued designing posters for cultural and bullfighting events.
He served as secretary of the Basque Artists Association and maintained close ties with artists such as Arteta, Aranoa, and Urrutia. His legacy is preserved in institutions like MACVAC (Vicente Aguilera Cerni Museum of Contemporary Art), which houses his expressive oil painting “Fishing Couple” (1968).
Nicolás Martínez Ortíz de Zárate died in Madrid in 1991. His work, combining technical mastery, social engagement, and aesthetic sensitivity, continues to be studied and admired. In the art auction market, his original posters, murals, and paintings are highly valued for their historical and artistic significance, especially among collectors of 20th-century Basque art.