Joan Canós (1928-2025) - La aldea escondida

Pictura Subastas presents this magnificent artwork by Joan Canós, depicting a tranquil mountain village, dominated by the church bell tower and surrounded by lush vegetation that begins to take on autumn colors. The painting stands out for its excellent technique and the high pictorial quality it conveys.

· Dimensions with frame: 64x52x3 cm.
· Dimensions without frame: 60x50 cm.
· Oil on canvas hand-signed by the artist at the bottom right.
· 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 form an integral part of the lot description. Digital representation in the mockup is indicative; there may be differences from the actual item 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 ensure its protection. The shipping price covers both the cost of professional packing and the transport itself.
Shipping will be carried out by Correos, GLS, or NACEX with tracking. International shipping available.

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This painting presents a beautiful view of a small mountain village, protected by an extensive mass of vegetation and crowned by the branches of trees occupying the top of the composition. The houses cluster irregularly around a church whose bell tower rises as the main visual reference. The scene conveys calm, closeness, and a deep connection between rural life and the natural environment, as if the village had grown slowly among the trees and hillside.

In the foreground appears a strip of land covered with shrubs, small plants, and rocky areas. The greens blend with yellows, ochres, violets, and browns, suggesting spontaneous vegetation that grows without strict order. This area acts as a natural entrance to the village and allows the eye to progress gradually from the bottom toward the first buildings.

At the bottom-right edge a partially visible building with a slanted roof and dark walls stands out. Its close presence creates a sense of depth and makes the viewer feel as if observing the settlement from a path or a small elevation on the outskirts. Being cropped by the edge of the frame, this building imaginatively enlarges the landscape and suggests that more houses exist beyond the visible space.

The village buildings occupy much of the central area. They are arranged on different levels, adapting to the slope of the terrain and forming a compact ensemble. Some facades are fully illuminated, while others remain in shadow. This alternation creates an interesting play of volumes that helps differentiate each building without breaking the overall unity of the settlement.

The houses feature walls in white, cream, gray, ochre, and light brown. Many are covered with reddish-orange roofs that bring warmth to the landscape. The roof lines intersect and overlap, generating a varied visual rhythm. Small windows, balconies, and galleries allow us to imagine daily life of their inhabitants, though no human figure appears.

On the left side a building with a wide wooden gallery and large dark openings stands out. Its structure gives personality to the set and recalls traditional rural dwellings. Nearby appear other simpler buildings, some with protected balconies and others with nearly closed facades. This architectural diversity makes the village feel authentic, old, and full of history.

In the center rises a light-faced house with a reddish roof occupying a particularly prominent position. Its lit walls contrast with the dark shrubs around it. The small vertical windows reinforce the traditional character of the building, while its forward position serves as a transition point between the foreground ground and the houses on higher levels.

The bell tower is the most striking element of the village. Its rectangular tower rises above the rooftops, with beige walls and a dark, pointed roof. At the top are narrow vertical openings that lighten its structure. Its height and central position allow it to be identified as the symbolic heart of the town and as a reference point within the landscape.

The church seems to be surrounded and partially hidden by the houses, reinforcing the sense of a community built around a common center. The tower stands serenely, not overpowering the other buildings. Its verticality contrasts with the horizontal and sloped lines of the roofs, providing balance and guiding the eye toward the mountain in the background.

Behind the village extends a large slope covered with dense vegetation. The soft, grayish and bluish greens combine to represent the depth of the forest. The mountain seems to descend toward the houses and envelop them, forming a kind of natural refuge. Some areas are lighter and more diffuse, while others show intense shadows suggesting ravines, groves, and relief changes.

The absence of a fully open horizon makes the landscape especially intimate. The village is not isolated at a great distance, but gathered within the mountain. This proximity between the houses and the forest conveys protection, silence, and continuity. Nature does not merely serve as a backdrop but as an enveloping presence that conditions and accompanies village life.

At the top, large branches cross the composition and form a natural frame. The closest leaves are dark and green, while others show yellows, ochres, and lighter tones. This color variation suggests a moment of transition between seasons, when some leaves begin to change while others still retain their intensity.

Particularly striking is the tree located in the upper-left zone, whose yellowed and golden leaves extend over the rooftops. Its branches descend visually toward the village and establish a direct relationship between the vegetation and the buildings. The foliage creates a protective canopy and brings luminosity to a scene dominated by the deep greens of the mountain.

The dark branches running across the upper right balance the visual weight of the brighter foliage on the left. Their curved and diagonal forms introduce movement and prevent the composition from feeling rigid. The leaves suspended over the village seem to belong to a tree very close to the viewer, increasing the sense of depth and turning the gaze into an observation made from the shade.

The light appears irregular, filtering through the leaves and reaching some rooftops, facades, and vegetation areas. The illuminated zones acquire warm, golden tones, while the shadows display deep greens, blues, and violets. This alternation creates a fresh and pleasant atmosphere, typical of a quiet day when the sun softly appears between the branches.

On the right side of the village a house with a light facade stands out, topped with a reddish roof and accompanied by a dark gallery or balcony. Bushes and small trees of vivid colors grow around it. The bright yellows and greens in this area create a transition between the buildings and the forest, showing how vegetation intrudes among the homes and becomes an inseparable part of the settlement.

The path or ground running along the bottom of the frame is barely defined, but its presence can be sensed among the stones, shrubs, and light earth bands. This possible path invites the viewer to imagine a journey into the heart of the village. The gaze can follow it mentally, moving between the first houses and finally toward the church and its bell tower.

The scene is characterized by the absence of people, vehicles, or clearly visible modern elements. This quiet gives the village an timeless appearance, as if detached from the fast pace of the outside world. However, the windows, balconies, and the proximity of the houses suggest a living community, even though its inhabitants are not depicted.

The ensemble of buildings can be interpreted as an image of coexistence, rootedness, and permanence. The houses, built very close to one another, evoke a community bound by history and its relationship with the land. The church reinforces this idea of a common center, while the mountain and trees symbolize the natural surroundings that protect and define the place.

The presence of yellow and golden leaves also adds a gentle sense of the passage of time. The landscape seems to be at a moment of change, possibly at the onset of autumn, when the light becomes warmer and the vegetation begins to transform. This seasonal transition adds a touch of nostalgia, though the scene retains a luminous and welcoming character.

The painting invites us to imagine the quiet of the narrow streets, the distant tolling of bells, and the movement of leaves blown by a light breeze. It also makes one think of the smell of earth, the dampness of the forest, and the tranquility of the houses at the foot of the mountain. All these elements turn visual contemplation into a near and evocative experience.

Overall, this painting offers a serene and endearing view of a traditional village integrated into a mountainous, vegetated landscape. The reddish roofs, the central bell tower, the tree-covered hillside, and the branches framing the scene create a harmonious, deeply inviting composition. The work conveys peace, rootedness, and a sense of simple life, showcasing the beauty of a rural community protected by the mountain and suspended in a moment of calm.