Xul Solar​ ​(1887-1963)

Oscar Agustín Alejandro Schulz Solari, who called himself Xul Solar, was a painter from
Argentina. He was also a sculptor, an architect, a writer and an inventor of imaginary
languages!

Some people call his paintings “fantastic art” because they have fantastical creatures, or
things, or people. He also liked to use a lot of symbols and flags in his paintings. Like in this
one called “Drago”:

Drago (1927)

Did you see the dragon in this picture? Who is on top of it? What is she doing? What other
animals can you see? What else can you see? How many flags do you see? Can you
recognize the flags?

Let’s learn some of the words in Spanish for the things that appear in the picture:

The dragon = El dragón

The princess = La princesa
The symbols = Los símbolos
The sun = El sol
The moon = La luna
The flags = Las banderas
Because he was an architect, he liked to use a ruler to make shapes in his paintings, he also
liked to put letters in them, like in this one:

Rótulo (1960)

How many shapes can you see? And how many letters? Can you make a word with these
letters? Can you make a word in Spanish with these letters?* Where do you think he used a
ruler? Can you see a flag he invented? Can you create your own flag? Do you see a hand?
Is there anything strange with that hand? What else can you see in this picture?

Let’s learn some of the words in Spanish for the things that appear in the picture:

The shapes = Las formas

The triangle = El triángulo
The circle = El círculo
The rectangle = El rectángulo
The semicircle = El semicírculo
The letters = Las letras
The hand = La mano
The fingers = Los dedos
The heart = El corazón
The flags = Las banderas

* ( I made the word “Loro” = parrot, in Spanish with the letters I found in the picture!)
He also liked to invent houses and buildings with odd shapes, or magical ones, like this
flying village:

Vuel Villa (1936)

How many buildings do you see on this flying village? What do you think makes the village
fly? How do people get on or off that flying village? What other means of transportation can
you see in the picture? Who do you think lives in that village? Can you draw the villagers
from the flying village? Can you create your own moving village?

Let’s learn some of the words in Spanish for the things that appear in the picture:

The flying village = El pueblo volador / La villa voladora

The buildings = Los edificios
The houses = Las casas
The propellers = Las hélices
The balloons = Los globos
The chimneys = Las chimeneas
The wheels = Las ruedas
The ladders = Las escaleras
The ships = Los barcos