Ramon Pujol (1947) - Tarde de cosecha

Pictura Galeria presents this magnificent work of art by Ramon Pujol, depicting two peasants working during harvest in a vast field surrounded by trees, rural buildings, and high mountains beneath a changing sky. The painting stands out for its excellent technique and the high pictorial quality it conveys.

· Dimensions of the work: 60x73x2 cm.
· Oil on canvas hand-signed by the artist in the lower left corner.
· The piece is in good condition, it shows a visible stain in the photographs.

The work comes from an exclusive private collection in Girona.

Important note: the photographs included are an integral part of the lot description.

The work 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 packing and the transportation itself.
Shipping will be carried out by Correos or GLS with tracking. International shipping is available.

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This painting presents an extensive rural scene devoted to harvest work, developed in a wide field surrounded by trees, rural buildings, and tall mountains. The gaze penetrates a landscape where earth, vegetation, and sky combine to show a specific moment of agricultural life. Numerous sheaves of cereal are distributed across the surface, while two figures work among them, becoming the human center of a composition dominated by nature and daily effort.

In the foreground appear several large piles of cereal arranged irregularly. Some are very close to the viewer and are partially cut off by the edges of the frame, which increases the sense of depth and allows us to imagine that the field continues beyond the image. Their compact shapes, dark at the base and lighter at the top, convey weight and volume. The strands protruding from the sheaves reinforce their dry appearance and show the result of a day’s harvest.

The arrangement of these piles creates a visual path that leads from the foreground to the center and background. The closest sheaves are large and defined, while those further away progressively diminish. This sequence establishes a clear perspective and makes the field seem wide and deep. At the same time, each set has a slightly different shape, avoiding monotony and adding naturalism to the scene.

The earth shows a combination of golden, ochre, brown, pink, and green tones. The drier areas retain the warm color of the cereal remnants, while some green vegetation fragments survive among the harvested zones. This chromatic alternation makes visible the land’s transformation after agricultural work. The field no longer appears covered by a uniform crop, but marked by cuts, paths, and places where the sheaves have gathered.

In the central-right area stand out two peasants working together beside a long row of cereal. One stands upright, wearing a light shirt, dark trousers, and a hat shielding him from the sun. The other is bent forward, focused on gathering, ordering, or securing one of the piles. His crouched posture directly expresses the physical effort required by the task, while the upright figure seems to observe the work done or prepare to continue.

The small scale of the workers against the field’s breadth emphasizes the hardship of their labor and the vast environment they must traverse. Although they are discreet figures, they immediately draw attention because they introduce movement, history, and humanity. Their presence helps explain the function of all the piles distributed across the terrain and transforms the landscape into a testament to collective activity. They are not mere decorative elements, but the silent protagonists of a long, demanding day.

The peasants’ clothing is simple and practical, suitable for outdoor work. The hats protect their heads, while the light garments stand out against the field’s earthy tones. One of them wears a blue piece that introduces a small note of freshness in the center of the composition. This chromatic touch helps separate the figures from the surroundings and focus the eye on the action they perform.

Behind the workers, many other sheaves are organized across the field. Some form compact groups and others appear isolated, waiting to be gathered or transported. The repetition of these forms conveys the idea of an abundant harvest and a task not yet finished. Each pile seems to signal a stage of work already completed, so the landscape also becomes a visual record of accumulated effort.

In the mid-ground there is a rural building with dark walls and a reddish-topped roof, partly sheltered by a large tree. The structure seems to be a barn, a storehouse, or a country house directly linked to the agricultural operation. Its presence introduces a stable, everyday reference, reminding us that this landscape is not only a natural space but also a place inhabited and worked in for generations.

To the left, other small constructions can be distinguished, some shaded by the mountains and trees. These buildings blend discreetly into the surroundings and reinforce the impression of encountering a rural community living in isolation. Their simple shapes and low roofs establish a harmonious relationship with the terrain, as if they had emerged from the landscape itself and had long formed part of it.

The trees distributed across the middle area add verticality and break the field’s horizontality. In the center rises a large, leafy tree with a dark, dense canopy that visually protects the building behind it. To its left appears another, lighter and brighter tree, whose yellowish leaves receive the light more intensely. The contrast between the two creates variety and suggests the approach of late summer or the start of autumn.

In the background, the terrain rises and gives way to a succession of mountains. Their profiles overlap on different levels, from the closest dark slopes to the bluish and gray elevations that seem to disappear in the distance. This gradation expands space and places the scene in a deep valley, surrounded by imposing nature. The mountains act as a protective barrier around the field and emphasize the sense of isolation.

Among the left-side mountains, a light area stands out that could correspond to a lake, a wide river, or a sunlit zone. Its presence introduces a luminous element that contrasts with the dark slopes and opens a small window toward the distance. This glow guides the eye to the valley’s back and adds a note of mystery, as the nature of that bright space is not fully defined.

The sky occupies a significant portion of the composition and is covered by large masses of gray, blueish, and pinkish clouds. Some areas let in warm light that tints the environment, while others are denser and more threatening. The atmosphere suggests a moment of transition, perhaps the last hours of the afternoon or the approach of a change in weather. The peasants seem to take advantage of the available light to finish their work before it darkens or rain arrives.

A narrow pink band crosses the sky and brings warmth to the whole. This glow relates to the golden and reddish tones of the ground, visually uniting the upper and lower parts of the scene. The light does not fall evenly but selects certain areas: some trees, certain piles, and parts of the field appear brighter, while other places remain in deep shadows. This play of light and dark intensifies the atmosphere and gives the landscape a solemn character.

The work conveys a sense of quiet, but not of stillness. Although there are no machines, animals, or large groups, the steady rhythm of human labor is perceived. The already formed sheaves, the figures at work, and the field’s expanse speak of ongoing activity for many hours. The scene invites us to imagine the sound of dry cereal, footsteps on the earth, wind among the trees, and the occasional voices of the workers.

There is also a clear relationship between humans and nature. The peasants depend on the land, the seasons, and the climate, but at the same time they transform the landscape through their effort. The piles of cereal represent the fruit of that bond: the result of months of growth and a day of harvest. The presence of the mountains and the sky reminds, however, that nature remains much larger and more powerful than the people who work it.

The image moreover possesses a strong evocative quality. It can awaken memories of a rural world based on manual labor, collaboration, and the knowledge handed down through generations. The simple buildings, open fields, and figures bent over the harvest speak of a way of life closely tied to natural cycles. The scene does not fully idealize work, as it also makes its hardship visible, yet it acknowledges its dignity and importance.

Overall, this precious painting represents a harvest day in a wide mountainous valley, where two peasants work among numerous cereal sheaves beneath a cloud-covered sky. The field’s breadth, the presence of rural buildings, the large trees, and the distant mountains create a deep and enveloping scene. The work conveys effort, abundance, serenity, and respect for rural life, turning a daily activity into an emotional celebration of the land, labor, and the passage of the seasons.