Humberto Rivas Collection

Humberto Luis Rivas Ribeiro (1937-2009) was an Argentinean painter, publicist, photographer and teacher. In 1976 he settled in Barcelona, fleeing the Argentine dictatorship. In Barcelona he came into contact with the cultural environment of the early days of the Transition and became a reference point in the artistic vindication of photography.

His work, mostly in black and white, explores the passage of time, memories and absences, with a meticulous treatment of light. He is noted for his introspective portraits and landscapes without human presence, which earned him the nickname of ‘the photographer of silence’.

A few years after his death, Rivas's private library was donated to the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona by the photographer's family.

Description of the collection: nearly 600 volumes, mainly books on photography: specialised monographs, anthologies and exhibition catalogues, both by Humberto Rivas himself and by other contemporary artists from Europe and America.

Collection date range: 1946-2015 

Collection incorporation date: 2017 

Depositary library: Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives