Impressionist school (XX) - The Pyrenees valley

Deep green in the Pyrenean valley

Technical sheet

Author: Catalan School (partially illegible signature) 1977
Deep green in the Pyrenean valley
Chronology: Mid-20th century
Technique: oil on canvas
Measurements: 54 × 73 cm (artwork) · 64 × 83 cm (framed)
Catalan Impressionist Landscaping
Condition: Very good; stable mounting, fresh coloration.
Painted wood in a light tone with a gold interior molding, sober and balanced.

2. Compositional and iconographic description

The work depicts a landscape of a mountain valley, probably Pyrenean, arranged in successive layers of meadows, woodland, and mountains. In the foreground, an open meadow with a path guides the eye toward a dense forest of deep greens, where vertical trunks structure the visual rhythm.

In the background, the mountains rise in softened geometric shapes, treated with a palette of bluish greens, ochres, and mauves, under a clear and dynamic sky. The brushstroke is broad, thick, and decisive, prioritizing the atmospheric sensation over descriptive detail. The absence of human figures reinforces a contemplative and silent reading of the landscape.

3. Style, School, and Comparative Valuation

This canvas clearly belongs to the tradition of 20th-century Catalan landscape painting, inheriting post-impressionism and plein air painting. It shows affinities with Joaquim Mir's work in the exaltation of color, with Modest Cuixart in certain early formal syntheses, and with more structured landscapes by Benet Mercadé.

It is a solid, balanced work with a very powerful decorative presence, representative of Catalan sensitivity to the natural landscape as an emotional space. Its pictorial quality and generous format make it a very attractive piece for collectors interested in the Catalan school of the postwar period.