The Refectory by Daniel Vázquez Díaz is a work that subtly yet unmistakably aligns with the great tradition of Spanish Cubist figuration of the early twentieth century. This austere and monumental scene depicts Carthusian monks gathered to bless their meal before eating. Their distinctive white habits become the central motif through which the artist explores the formal synthesis characteristic of Cubism.

Vázquez Díaz looks beyond modernity to embrace the legacy of the great masters of the past. In this case, the luminous and restrained composition of The Refectory recalls Saint Hugh in the Refectory of the Carthusians (c. 1655), painted by Francisco de Zurbarán for the sacristy of the Carthusian monastery in Seville. The arch opening onto the background, the painting hanging on the refectory wall, and the subject itself all echo features of Zurbarán’s masterpiece. Vázquez Díaz reinterprets these elements in his own language, creating a work in which tradition and modernity are brought into dialogue.