Federico Ribas Montenegro. Obra gráfica, editorial y publicitaria. Análisis y catalogación documental (1916-1936)

Abstract

This thesis on the life and work of Federico Ribas Montenegro (1890-1952) aims to shed light on the personal life and professional career of this prolific artist from Vigo, Spain. It focuses on his work in the advertising industry from 1916 to 1936. This multi-talented author employed his skills in a number of different areas of the graphic arts and, as a result, this project analyzes these differing aspects which intermingled diachronically throughout his career: The art of advertising, design and book illustrations, posters, visual humor, artistic creativity and his experiments in the art of theater and cinema. The research has been undertaken using a methodological approach to include historical and documentary analysis, a qualitative appraisal, qualitative interviewing with experts in the field and an analysis of the content of a portfolio which includes 3,438 illustrated advertisements which appeared in the major illustrated magazines in the early part of the 20th century (La Esfera, Blanco y Negro, Nuevo Mundo, Crónica and Estampa). In the field of advertising art in particular, the essential features and major iconographic motifs have been analyzed and identified that the artist employed to convey the message in his work, the majority of which was produced for the Gal Fragrance House.