Juli Batallé i Murla (1926-2010) - Iglesia

Pictura Subastas presents this magnificent artwork by Juli Batallé, depicting an ancient rural church perched on a green hill, surrounded by trees and enveloped by the silent atmosphere of a gray, rainy day. The painting stands out for its excellent technique and the high pictorial quality it conveys.

· Dimensions with frame: 48x58x7 cm.
· Dimensions without frame: 24x33 cm.
· Oil on panel hand-signed by the artist in the bottom right, Batallé.
· The piece is in good conservation condition.
· The work is sold with a precious frame (included in the auction as a gift).

The work comes from an exclusive private collection in Girona.

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

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

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This painting presents a rural landscape dominated by an ancient church situated on a gentle green hill, surrounded by trees and wrapped in the gray sky. The religious building occupies the central area of the composition and becomes the main focal point thanks to the verticality of its tower. The scene conveys a deep sense of calm, recollection, and solitude, as if time had stood still in this corner of the world.

The church appears formed by several stacked volumes, with inclined roofs in reddish and brown tones. Its walls, rendered in grays, ochres, and earth tones, naturally blend with the landscape. The irregular arrangement of the coverings suggests that the building has grown over time, incorporating chapels, dependencies, and annex spaces that enrich its silhouette.

The tower rises above the roofs and stands out clearly against the sky. Its narrow, vertical structure is capped by a small pointed roof that emphasizes its height. The dark areas suggest openings or bells, while the gray and brown nuances give it an ancient and solemn appearance. This tower acts as a visible reference point from the surrounding area.

Around the building, a few smaller constructions appear, partially hidden by the trees. Their reddish roofs and simple forms evoke a small rural nucleus developed around the church. These structures add a human dimension to the landscape, even though no figures, paths, or signs of immediate activity are observed.

The hill occupies a substantial portion of the canvas and slopes gently toward the foreground. Its greens vary from deep tones to lighter, yellowish areas. Some horizontal and irregular lines traverse the terrain and could correspond to paths, natural drop-offs, or old field divisions. These visual traces guide the eye toward the church.

In the foreground, low, abundant vegetation extends. Small shrubs, grasses, and flowers appear scattered across the ground, introducing small points of white, blue, red, and yellow. Although discreet, they bring freshness and life to the scene. The irregularity of the vegetation reinforces the natural, lightly unmanipulated character of the landscape.

Trees on both sides frame the composition. On the left, a dense, dark mass of foliage extends into the scene, while on the right several broad-canopied trees silhouette against the sky. This distribution creates a natural frame around the church and balances its central position. The different greens suggest damp leaves under soft, diffused light.

The sky occupies almost half the upper portion of the work and is dominated by greenish grays, dull whites, and bluish tones. Its uniform, overcast appearance suggests a rainy, humid, or foggy day. Some small clear areas seem to descend over the landscape like fine droplets or reflections, enhancing the sense of freshness and melancholy.

The light does not come from a direct source but spreads softly across the scene. This contained illumination avoids harsh contrasts and allows the buildings, trees, and hill to integrate harmoniously. The result is a silent atmosphere, in which the colors seem muted by the humidity in the air and by the proximity of the rain.

The landscape conveys a deep connection between architecture and nature. The church does not impose itself on the surroundings but seems to be part of it, settled for generations on the hill. Trees surround it, the ground leads to its walls, and the gray sky envelops it. This integration suggests permanence, tradition, and rural life tied to the slow passage of time.

The absence of people intensifies the contemplative character of the scene. The viewer can imagine the distant sound of bells, the rustle of the wind among the leaves, or the rain falling softly on the rooftops. The closed and silent building takes on an almost spiritual presence, becoming a symbol of refuge, memory, and continuity.

Overall, this painting offers a serene and evocative vision of a rural church set on a green hill beneath a gray, damp sky. The tower, the reddish roofs, the trees, and the foreground vegetation form a balanced and deeply atmospheric composition. The work conveys silence, tradition, and contemplation, inviting the viewer to appreciate the discreet beauty of a rural landscape on a cloudy day.