Jean Roig (1929) - NO RESERVE - Roses for an intimate devotion

Roses for an intimate devotion
Style: Post-Impressionist realism
Pictorial School: Catalan School of the mid-20th century

Technical sheet

Author: Jean Roig (Barcelona, 1926)
Chronology: c. 1955–1965
Technique: oil on canvas
Measurements: 55 × 46 cm
Measurements with frame: 68 × 60 cm
Condition: Good, with a natural patina of time.
Marco: Quality wooden frame, wide molding with a light patinated finish, sober and elegant, in harmony with the intimate character of the artwork.

2. Compositional and iconographic description

The work depicts a carefully balanced floral still life: a bouquet of polychrome roses arranged in a classic-inspired blue ceramic vase, resting on a table covered with a white cloth featuring rich impasto brushwork.

The dark, neutral, and profound background enhances the volume and chromatic vibration of the flowers, creating an effect of introspection and silence.

The handwritten dedication in Catalan — “Dedicat a Maria Fontanals amb tot l’afecte” — introduces an intimate and affectionate dimension, transforming the still life into a personal memory object and tribute, where the flower acquires a symbolic value of love, permanence, and devotion.

3. Style, School, and Comparative Valuation

Jean Roig is inscribed in the Catalan tradition of postwar lyrical realism, with clear affinities to artists such as Antoni Vila Arrufat, Pere Pruna, or certain late still lifes by Joaquim Mir in its most restrained aspect.

The brushstroke is secure, material, and expressive, especially visible in the treatment of the white cloth and petals, where the impasto adds body and visual rhythm.

A work of notable technical quality and chromatic sensitivity that engages with the great tradition of modern European still life. Its dedicated character and careful execution make it an attractive piece for collectors of the Catalan school as well as for enthusiasts of 20th-century intimate painting.