LAURA CANO · SPANISH FIGURATIVE PAINTER

Laura Cano is a Spanish figurative painter known for oil portraits built up in layers and translucent glazes, using the grisaille technique of the Flemish masters and pigments of historical origin such as lapis lazuli from Afghanistan and vermilion from China. Children are her preferred sitters: she looks for innocence, not the pose.

Born in northern Spain and raised in Seville, she studied Geography and History at the University of Seville and at UCL, and took evening classes in graphic design at Central Saint Martins in 1990s London. She returned to painting in a Madrid atelier, where she learned the grisaille technique.

Two of her portraits, Aegon II and Rhaenyra Targaryen, commissioned for HBO Max’s House of the Dragon, were exhibited at the Royal Collections Gallery of the Royal Palace in Madrid. She was guest artist and jury member at VersionaThyssen XXII, reinterpreting a work from the permanent collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Her work has been featured in Forbes and AD, among other publications.

PORTRAIT COMMISSIONS

Every commissioned portrait begins with a conversation about the concept, the sitter’s story and the visual references that matter to them, followed by a photo session with wardrobe and final composition. On Belgian linen, the portrait is built in layers: first the grisaille, the tonal underpainting that fixes drawing and volume, then translucent oil glazes that give depth to skin and light, the same technique used by the Flemish portraitists. A final varnish protects the work and restores the intensity of the colour.

Timelines and prices are agreed in the initial conversation, depending on format and complexity. Commissions are welcome worldwide. To commission a portrait or ask about available works, please get in touch through the contact page.