Joan Torres de Torres (1953) - L'Estany de Banyoles

Pictura Subastas presents this magnificent artwork belonging to Torres de Torres, depicting a serene lake under a cloudy sky, with a small white building reflected in the water and surrounded by mountains and vegetation. The painting stands out for its excellent technique and the great pictorial quality it conveys.

· Unframed dimensions: 33x55x1 cm.
· Oil on panel hand-signed by the artist on the right side of the work.
· The piece is in good condition.

The work comes from an exclusive private collection in Girona.

Important note: the photographs included are an integral part of the lot description. Digital representation in an indicative mockup; there may be differences respecto to the actual article in color, scale and details.

The painting will be professionally packed by an IVEX expert (https://www.instagram.com/ivex.online/), using high-quality materials to guarantee its protection. The shipping price covers both the cost of professional packaging and the transportation itself.
Shipping will be carried out by Correos, GLS or NACEX with tracking. International shipping available.

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This painting presents a lakeside landscape with a silent, deeply contemplative atmosphere, dominated by a wide expanse of water that reflects the stillness of a overcast day. The composition opens to the viewer like a serene panorama, where the lake, the mountains and the sky form a harmonious visual unity. The absence of abrupt movement and the overall softness of the colors envelop the scene in a sense of calm, as if time had stood still for a moment in this secluded corner of nature.

The surface of the water occupies a fundamental part of the work and acts as a large mirror slightly distorted by small ripples. On it unfolds a rich variety of bluish grays, muted greens, silvery tones and delicate whitish reflections. These chromatic variations suggest the slow movement of the lake and add depth to the foreground. The horizontal bands and the brighter areas create a sense of breadth, causing the gaze to move slowly from one end of the composition to the other.

On the left side appears a small white building located by the shore, becoming the main focal point of the landscape. Its clear and simple architecture stands out delicately against the dark tones of the surrounding vegetation. The building seems to extend partially over the water via a jetty or platform, while a small tower topped with a reddish roof adds a warm and singular note within the predominantly cool palette. This discreet red detail introduces an attractive contrast and gives personality to the whole.

The structure is reflected on the lake in a fragmented manner, extending its vertical forms and white tones toward the bottom. The reflection does not reproduce the building with absolute clarity, but transforms it into a tremulous and poetic presence, altered by the gentle movement of the water. This visual duplication reinforces the sense of quiet and creates a dialogue between the architecture and its natural surroundings, as if both realities belong inseparably to the same landscape.

Along the opposite shore stretches a band of dark vegetation that runs horizontally across the composition. Deep greens, browns, and nearly black tones form a natural barrier between the water and the distant mountains. In some areas, the vegetation seems denser and taller, while in others it becomes lighter and allows small variations in terrain to be distinguished. This alternation prevents monotony and provides rhythm to a scene mainly built with broad horizontal planes.

Beyond the vegetation appear several mountainous elevations, represented with soft, stepped silhouettes. The mountain near the center appears hazy, partially veiled by ambient humidity and by a grayish light that reduces the sharpness of its contours. Rather than imposing itself on the landscape, these forms integrate quietly into it, creating a gradual transition between land and sky. Their presence adds depth and guides the gaze toward a distant, mysterious horizon.

The sky occupies a large expanse and plays a key role in the emotional character of the work. The clouds unfold in multiple layers of grays, veiled whites and bluish hues, forming a dense and changing vault. Some areas show a pale clarity that seems to attempt to pierce the cloud cover, while others darken and signal the possibility of rain. This combination conveys the impression of an unstable moment, perhaps after a storm or just before it.

The light is soft, cool and diffuse, not coming from a clearly defined point. It washes over the lake and the mountains like a silver veil, unifying the different elements and creating an atmosphere of contemplation. The small bright touches of the architecture and certain areas of the water stand out precisely because of this restrained illumination. The scene does not seek the drama of strong contrast, but the silent beauty of subtle shifts between clarity and shadow.

The composition rests on a marked horizontality, visible in both the shoreline line and the succession of the water, the mountains and the cloud layers. This structure conveys stability, calm and balance. In contrast, the vertical lines of the small building and the jetty introduce a counterpoint that draws the eye to the left. The shifted placement of the building avoids overly rigid symmetry and allows the open space of the lake to unfold freely toward the right.

One of the most evocative aspects of the scene is the sense of solitude. There are no human figures, moving boats, or other elements that interrupt the tranquility of the setting. However, the presence of the building suggests a quiet, distant human activity, perhaps linked to rest, navigation, or contemplation of the lake. The building seems inhabited by memories more than people, adding a narrative dimension to the landscape open to the viewer’s imagination.

The color palette reinforces this introspective character. Grayish greens, muted blues, veiled whites and the dark tones of the shores create a sober and elegant harmony. The small reddish roof acts as a life note within that contained universe, while certain verdant and silvery reflections enrich the surface of the water. The chromatic moderation lends the landscape an timeless quality, detached from a clearly defined season or hour.

The work invites us to imagine the damp silence of the shore, the faint murmur of the water, and the slow passage of the clouds over the mountains. Its beauty lies in the apparent simplicity of a scene where each element contributes to build a precise atmosphere. The lake functions as a space for contemplation; the mountains as a distant boundary; the sky as an expression of the landscape’s emotional state; and the small white architecture as a delicate link between human presence and the vast natural world.

Overall, this lovely painting represents a tranquil lakeside landscape under a cloudy sky, where a small white building by the shore is softly reflected on the waters. The breadth of the lake, the mountains shrouded in a light mist, the dark vegetation, and the delicate silver light create a scene of great serenity and emotional depth. It is an elegant and evocative image that conveys silence, isolation and harmony, inviting the viewer to lose themselves in the quiet of a natural environment suspended between reality and memory.