St. Atomic (1948)

Tempera and oil on masonite 48 x 30 1/2 inches. Signed and dated LR Exhibited: Evils of Atomic Energy, 1949 Contemporary Exhibit of American Painting, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana, 1950, #31 McNay Art Institute, 1964, #8 „ Julio De Diego’s Atomic Series paintings made an extraordinary statement regarding the shock and fear which accompanied the dawn of the nuclear age. In the artist’s own words: “Scientists were working secretly to develop formidible powers taken from the mysterious depths of the earth - with the power to make the earth useless ! Then, the EXPLOSION! . . . and we entered the Atomic Age, and from there the neo-Atomic war begins. Explosions fell everywhere and man kept on fighting, discovering he could fight without flesh.” To execute these astonishing works, De Diego developed the technique of using tempera underpainting before applying layer upon layer of pigmented oil glazes. The result is paintings with surfaces which were described as “bone-like” in quality. The forms seem to float freely, creating a three-dimensional visual effect. In the 1954 book The Modern Renaissance in American Art, author Ralph Pearson summarizes the series as ”a fantastic interpretation of a weighty theme. Perhaps it is well to let fantasy and irony appear to lighten the devastating impact. By inverse action, they may in fact increase its weight.”