Esteban Vicente (January 20, 1903 – January 10, 2001) was a Spanish-American painter and a central figure in the first generation of New York School Abstract Expressionists. Born in Turégano, Spain, he was the third child of Toribio Vicente Ruiz, a military officer, and Sofia Pérez y Álvarez, from an Asturian family. His father, an art enthusiast, took him to the Museo del Prado nearly every Sunday from age four, sparking his early passion for art.

Vicente studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, initially intending to become a sculptor, but soon focused on painting. He developed close ties with leading Spanish artists and writers of the "Generation of 1927," including Federico García Lorca and Juan Ramón Jiménez. He exhibited in Madrid in 1928 and spent time in Paris (1929–1930) and Barcelona, where he met Pablo Picasso and Max Ernst.

In 1936, he moved to New York City during the Spanish Civil War, initially serving as Vice-Consul for the Spanish Republic in Philadelphia. He became a U.S. citizen in 1940 and quickly integrated into the New York art scene, forming friendships with Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Franz Kline. He participated in landmark exhibitions such as the 9th Street Art Exhibition (1951) and the New Talents show (1950), solidifying his role in the development of Abstract Expressionism.

Throughout his career, Vicente taught at prestigious institutions, including Black Mountain College, the New York Studio School, and Yale University. His work evolved from early representational pieces to a distinctive lyrical abstraction, characterized by vibrant color harmonies, delicate forms, and a deep sensitivity to light and atmosphere. In his later years, inspired by his garden in Bridgehampton, New York, he created the ethereal Garden Paintings series, which captured the luminous colors of flowers like phlox and morning glories.

Vicente received numerous accolades, including the Gold Medal of Fine Arts from King Juan Carlos in 1991 and a major retrospective at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in 1998. The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Esteban Vicente in Segovia, Spain, was established in his honor in 1998. He continued to paint until shortly before his death at age 97 in Bridgehampton, New York. His ashes were interred in the garden of the museum in Segovia, as he wished.