Claudio Bravo Chilien, 1936-2011

Chilean painter, master of realism and optical illusion

Claudio Bravo was born on November 8, 1936, in Valparaíso, Chile. He studied at a Jesuit college in Santiago and trained under Spanish painter Miguel Venegas Cifuentes. At an early age, he began exhibiting his work, blending surrealist influences with classical technique. In 1961, he moved to Madrid, where he gained recognition as a portraitist for aristocrats and the Spanish royal family.

Eventually shifting away from portraiture, Bravo turned to still life, becoming renowned for his hyperrealistic renderings of tied parcels, draped fabrics, and crumpled paper. Influenced by Old Masters such as Velázquez and Zurbarán, as well as by contemporary photorealism, his style merged trompe-l'œil with visual sensuality and mystical undertones.

In 1972, Bravo discovered Morocco, settling first in Tangier and later in Marrakech. The architecture, light, and atmosphere of North Africa deeply shaped his work. His studio became a haven for classical discipline and meditative beauty.

Claudio Bravo died in Taroudant, Morocco, on June 4, 2011. His work, exhibited globally, is celebrated for its extraordinary technical precision and timeless visual poetry.