Paul Ygartua
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PAUL YGARTUA · 63 ARTWORKS

Cities of the World Paintings

Architecture is central to Paul Ygartua’s paintings of cities around the world. These works explore how buildings and skylines give each place a distinctive identity.

Bilbao, Barcelona, Paris, London, Jerusalem, Istanbul and New York have all provided inspiration. These cityscape paintings explore the character of urban places through their structures and skylines, translating impressions of each city into colour and composition.

From Liverpool to Bilbao

When Paul was four, he travelled with his parents from Liverpool to Bilbao on a passenger cargo boat where one of his uncles worked. It was his father’s return to his Basque homeland in the 1950s. The journey began Paul’s fascination with cities and the way their architecture reveals their character.

Watching Bilbao change from an industrial port into a city celebrated for its architecture became part of that continuing interest. Encounters with Barcelona, Paris, London, Jerusalem, Istanbul and New York gave him further subjects to explore.

Red and yellow abstract buildings with sweeping outlinesImage description: Red and yellow abstract buildings with sweeping outlinesTall city buildings reflected in deep blue waterImage description: Tall city buildings reflected in deep blue waterPale skyline with a prominent red towerNew YorkCity towers and reflections in grey, red and blueImage description: City towers and reflections in grey, red and blueGolden abstract city towers with red accentsCity EscapeNight skyline with blue and golden reflectionsImage description: Night skyline with blue and golden reflectionsRed and grey towers beside bridge-like outlinesImage description: Red and grey towers beside bridge-like outlinesCool grey towers reflected in pale waterImage description: Cool grey towers reflected in pale waterRed and white towers with yellow reflectionsImage description: Red and white towers with yellow reflectionsPale city towers with blue harbour reflectionsVancouverDense golden skyline with a pointed central towerNew York City, USAAbstract buildings and rounded black outlines in pale blueImage description: Abstract buildings and rounded black outlines in pale blueBoats along a river beneath violet city buildingsParis, FranceNarrow urban street beneath warm hazy lightImage description: Narrow urban street beneath warm hazy lightRed and violet towers reflected against yellowImage description: Red and violet towers reflected against yellowDense golden city buildings with black outlinesImage description: Dense golden city buildings with black outlinesPale towers and reflections with scattered red accentsLa Defense, ParisTall needle-like tower above a city harbourToronto, CanadaDark city towers beneath an orange skyImage description: Dark city towers beneath an orange skyWide purple and grey skyline reflected in waterVancouverTall street buildings beneath a pale cloudy skyImage description: Tall street buildings beneath a pale cloudy skyCity skyline in red, white and blackVancouverVertical skyline with varied warm and cool towersImage description: Vertical skyline with varied warm and cool towersPale dense towers above dark linear reflectionsImage description: Pale dense towers above dark linear reflectionsGolden and grey city towers in a muted skylineImage description: Golden and grey city towers in a muted skylineOchre skyline with soft mirrored reflectionsImage description: Ochre skyline with soft mirrored reflectionsAngular riverside building with blue and white reflectionsThe Guggenheim, Bilbao, SpainVertical city buildings with pink and blue reflectionsImage description: Vertical city buildings with pink and blue reflectionsDense abstract buildings in orange, red and greenImage description: Dense abstract buildings in orange, red and greenCity skyline with round outlined forms in frontNew YorkLayered angular architectural shapes in blue and yellowImage description: Layered angular architectural shapes in blue and yellowDense red and violet cityscape with reflectionsVancouverWarm geometric buildings reflected in brown and goldImage description: Warm geometric buildings reflected in brown and goldTall tower with golden and red harbour reflectionsImage description: Tall tower with golden and red harbour reflectionsSeated geometric figure against blue and red blocksImage description: Seated geometric figure against blue and red blocksNarrow red and grey towers on pale blueCity LimitsWide abstract waterfront with overlapping curved shapesVancouver City ArtPale skyline with tall red and white buildingsNew York - Skyline artSweeping curved building shapes beside red and blue waterGuggenheimRed and black towers with pale waterfront reflectionsCity of the World