Marta Balust (1959-2019) - Female Figure at rest

1. TECHNICAL DATA

Author: Marta Balust (Barcelona, 1959–2019)

School: Catalan contemporary school

Period: Second half of the 20th century – early 21st century

Technique: Oil on canvas

Dimensions of the work: 81 x 116 cm

Signature: Signed “Balust” in the lower left corner

Support and condition: Canvas mounted on a wooden stretcher with a central crossbar. On the back it retains commercial labels from the artistic materials supplier.

Condition: Good overall state of conservation. The surface shows craquelure and small alterations typical of the behavior and aging of a pictorial material applied in an expressive manner, especially visible in some light areas. Please study the photographs carefully, which form part of the description.

2. DESCRIPTION

An interesting large-format oil on canvas by Marta Balust (Barcelona, 1959–2019), an artist linked to contemporary Catalan painting.

The composition presents a nude, reclining female figure, represented through a combination of linear drawing and broad masses of pictorial matter. The anatomy appears deliberately simplified, with a treatment distant from academic naturalism and oriented toward a more subjective and expressive interpretation of the human body.

The figure occupies almost the entire surface of the canvas and is cut out against a very luminous background, built from whites, grays, muted greens, and slightly purplish tones. In the right-hand sector, secondary organic shapes emerge that integrate into the pictorial space without a completely figurative delimitation.

3. STYLISTIC AND COMPOSitional ANALYSIS

The work is organized through a wide horizontal composition. The female body generates a main diagonal that leads the eye from the head, located at the upper left edge, to the legs extended toward the right margin.

Balust contrasts two fundamental resources: on the one hand, a dark, firm, and highly synthetic line used to define the silhouette; on the other, a free application of paint, with diluted areas, impastos, transparencies, dragging, and partially open surfaces.

This opposition between drawing and matter gives the image a strong visual tension. The background functions not only as neutral space but as an active surface where stains and gestures seem to prolong the movement of the body.

The intentionally contained palette—dominated by off-whites, grayish greens, mauves, and blacks—reinforces the elegance and introspective character of the composition.

4. PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSION

The figure appears reclining with closed eyes and a slightly elevated face. The position conveys a sense of abandonment, rest, and introspection.

Nudity is not presented from a strictly descriptive perspective. The body becomes an emotional and formal vehicle: proportions are relaxed, certain parts are simplified, and the pictorial matter seems to fuse with the surrounding space.

The result has a certain ambiguity between serenity and vulnerability, a particularly interesting feature within the modern and contemporary tradition of representing the human figure.

5. SIGNATURE AND AUTHENTICITY

The work is signed “Balust” in the lower left corner.

The signature appears integrated directly into the pictorial layer and is clearly visible in detail photographs.

The piece is catalogued as a work by Marta Balust (Barcelona, 1959–2019), in accordance with the present signature and the available information about the work.

6. OTHER INTERESTING DATA

This is a work of considerable format, measuring 81 x 116 cm, a circumstance that notably enhances the physical presence of the figure.

The pictorial treatment combines figuration and gesture, with a significant use of emptiness and matter as structural elements of the composition.

The reverse allows viewing the wooden stretcher with a central crossbar and several marks and commercial labels related to the support, elements that are also documented photographically.

The work is currently presented without a frame.

7. SHIPPING AND CONDITIONS

The work will be packaged by a specialized professional company using highly protective materials, including a custom-made crate and foam protections adapted to the piece’s characteristics.

We ship worldwide.

Due to the dimensions of the work, large-format shipments, destinations that are especially distant, or countries outside the European Union may incur additional costs. If any extraordinary surcharge exists, it will be borne by the buyer.

The photographs form an integral part of the description and allow a detailed assessment of the condition of the work.