Mercè Malet Travy (1918–2014) - Jeune femme pensive

Mercè Malet Travy (1918–2014)
Thoughtful young woman

Oil on canvas. Signed.

Delicate work by Mercè Malet Travy (Barcelona, 1918–2014), Catalan painter and draftsman whose production gave special attention to the female figure, a genre in which numerous oils, watercolors, pastels and drawings are known. Available sources indicate her training at the Valls Academy, La Llotja, and the School of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi, where she had among her teachers Santasusagna and Francesc Labarta. Her first solo exhibition took place at the Rovira Gallery in Barcelona in 1957.

The painting depicts a young woman in a state of absorption, reclined on her arms with her head resting softly upon them. The proximity of the figure and the absence of anecdotal elements turn the scene into an intimate, silent image, focused on the protagonist's emotional state.

Malet structures the composition with large chromatic masses. The light blue of the clothing occupies a large part of the surface and is built with a visible, quick, fragmented brushstroke. In front of it, the deep red of the element on which the young woman rests introduces an intense warm contrast that concentrates even more attention on the face.

The treatment of the figure is particularly attractive. The face is resolved with greater delicacy than the rest of the composition, using ochres, pinks and earth tones softly modulated, while the hair is built with broader strokes in browns, blacks and golden highlights.

The girl’s expression — lowered gaze, face resting on the arms, restrained gesture — conveys a marked sense of introspection. Rather than developing a concrete narrative, the artist seems to be interested in capturing a psychological instant: repose, melancholy, or simple contemplation.

This predilection for the female figure is consistent with Malet’s known production. Biographical sources explicitly note that she cultivated the figure with particular fondness, in addition to landscape and other genres, working in oil, watercolors, pastels and sanguine. Other works featuring women, dancers and female portraits are also documented.

The execution combines a traditional figurative base with a free, synthetic, modern brushstroke, particularly visible in the clothing and the surroundings, placing the work within Catalan 20th-century figurative painting.

The painting bears the signature “M. Malet” in the lower left corner.

About the artist

Mercè Malet Travy (1918–2014) was born and died in Barcelona. She trained at key institutions of the Barcelona art scene, including La Llotja and the School of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi. After her first solo show in 1957, she developed exhibition activity in Barcelona and other Spanish cities, as well as Andorra, and participated in various group exhibitions and contests.

Her production covered different techniques and genres, although the representation of the human figure, especially the female, constitutes a particularly recognizable aspect of her work.

Condition report

The work presents a condition in keeping with its age. The photographs provided form an integral part of the description and should be examined carefully to assess its current state of conservation.

The painting is currently framed.

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