Wifredo Lam

(Cuban, 1902–1982)

Wifredo Lam was an Afro-Cuban artist best known for his unique Surrealist aesthetic that combined European artistic movements with the imagery of his native country. “I responded always to the presence of factors that emanated from our history and our geography, tropical flowers, and black culture,” Lam once said. In one of his most famous paintings, The Jungle (1943), these various influences are melded together, onto a single large-scale canvas. Born Wifredo Oscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla on December 8, 1902 in Sagua la Grande, Cuba, the painter moved to Madrid, Spain in 1923 to study with Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor, who had been the teacher of famed Surrealist Salvador Dalí. Lam moved to Paris after seeing an exhibition of Pablo Picasso’s work in Spain. Having arrived in Paris, he introduced himself to Picasso who subsequently showed Lam his collection of primitive artworks. The two artists' interaction figured heavily in Lam’s work throughout the remainder of his career. He died on September 11, 1982 in Paris, France at the age of 79. Today, the artist’s works are held in the collections of the Tate Gallery in London, the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., among others.

Related Categories

Contemporary Art, Drawings and Works on Paper, Surrealism

Related Artists

André Breton, Salvador Dalí, Paul Klee, Roberto Matta, Pablo Picasso

Most Expensive Artwork Sold at Auction

OMI OBINI, 1943
Sold price: 9,603,800 USD

Wifredo Lam Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Wifredo Lam (4,113 results)
Les deux frères, 1972

Wifredo Lam

Les deux frères, 1972

Sale Date: December 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Oiseau de feu, 1970–1979

Wifredo Lam

Oiseau de feu, 1970–1979

Sale Date: December 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Figures, 1973

Wifredo Lam

Figures, 1973

Sale Date: December 2, 2023

Auction Closed

Untiteld (2 Prints From: Le Regard..., 1966–1973

Wifredo Lam

Untiteld (2 Prints From: Le Regard..., 1966–1973

Sale Date: December 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Quetzal (From: Brunidor Portfolio Number 1), 1947

Wifredo Lam

Quetzal (From: Brunidor Portfolio Number 1), 1947

Sale Date: December 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Lune Haute (From: Pleni Luna), 1974

Wifredo Lam

Lune Haute (From: Pleni Luna), 1974

Sale Date: December 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1957

Wifredo Lam

Sans titre, 1957

Sale Date: December 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1959

Wifredo Lam

Untitled, 1959

Sale Date: December 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1964

Attributed to Wifredo Lam

Untitled, 1964

Sale Date: November 29, 2023

Auction Closed

Oiseau du fer & Oiseau de feu, 1970

Wifredo Lam

Oiseau du fer & Oiseau de feu, 1970

Sale Date: November 29, 2023

Auction Closed

Oiseau du fer & Oiseau de feu, 1970

Wifredo Lam

Oiseau du fer & Oiseau de feu, 1970

Sale Date: November 29, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1962

Wifredo Lam

Untitled, 1962

Sale Date: November 29, 2023

Auction Closed

DESSIN ORIGINAL À L'ENCRE SIGNÉ, 1957

Wifredo Lam

DESSIN ORIGINAL À L'ENCRE SIGNÉ, 1957

Sale Date: November 17, 2023

Auction Closed

Senza titolo, 1970

Wifredo Lam

Senza titolo, 1970

Sale Date: November 7, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1975

Wifredo Lam

Untitled, 1975

Sale Date: November 16, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1947

Wifredo Lam

Untitled, 1947

Sale Date: November 16, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1977

Wifredo Lam

Untitled, 1977

Sale Date: November 16, 2023

Auction Closed

Mujer sentada, 1942

Wifredo Lam

Mujer sentada, 1942

Sale Date: November 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Femme aux cheveux longs, III (recto); Homme..., 1942

Wifredo Lam

Femme aux cheveux longs, III (recto); Homme..., 1942

Sale Date: November 14, 2023

Auction Closed

Sin título, 1951

Wifredo Lam

Sin título, 1951

Sale Date: November 14, 2023

Auction Closed

Les Grues cendrées le soleil couchant, 1946

Wifredo Lam

Les Grues cendrées le soleil couchant, 1946

Sale Date: November 14, 2023

Auction Closed

Sans titre (Les espoir de un avenir), 1970

Wifredo Lam

Sans titre (Les espoir de un avenir), 1970

Sale Date: November 14, 2023

Auction Closed

Sans titre (Femme fleurie), 1955

Wifredo Lam

Sans titre (Femme fleurie), 1955

Sale Date: November 14, 2023

Auction Closed

El Casquee (She with Helmet) from the Pleni..., 1974

Wifredo Lam

El Casquee (She with Helmet) from the Pleni..., 1974

Sale Date: October 31, 2023

Auction Closed

English (US)

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