Spinoza’s Conatus (2026) Original Oil Painting by Félix Rubio

Spinoza’s Conatus is inspired by Baruch Spinoza’s idea that every being possesses an intrinsic tendency to persevere in its existence.
The composition develops through opposing forces: geometric structures and spontaneous gestures, areas of stability and rupture, expansion and resistance. Blue, ochre, black, white and touches of red generate a visual tension that suggests energy struggling to maintain itself within a changing environment.
Lines, fragmented planes and partially erased forms create a structure that is never completely stable. For me, this instability is essential to the work: the conatus is not represented as a fixed force, but as a continuous act of persistence, transformation and resistance.
The faint philosophical references embedded in the surface are deliberately secondary. The painting is intended to function first as an autonomous visual experience, with the philosophical idea operating beneath it rather than explaining it.

Materials used:

Acrylic, oil, chalk, Chinese ink and pencil on canvas

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 110 x 110 x 7cm (unframed) / 110 x 110cm (actual image size)
• Ready to hang
• Signed certificate of authenticity
• Style: Geometric
• Subject: Abstract and non-figurative