José Martorell Puigdomènech (XIX-XX) - Le Festin de la nature - XL FORMAT

José Martorell Puigdomènech (19th–20th centuries) – Grand Baroque Still Life with Fruit, Flowers and Game – Oil on canvas

Magnificent large-scale oil on canvas by the Spanish painter José Martorell Puigdomènech, an artist active during the first half of the 20th century, recognized for his figurative compositions rooted in the academic tradition and his elaborate still lifes.

This is a work of exceptional pictorial quality and notable compositional complexity, created in keeping with the great European Baroque still-life tradition of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The painting depicts a rich still life combining game, fruit, flowers and ornamental objects, arranged on a table and enveloped in a deep chiaroscuro atmosphere.

At the center is a decorated ceramic vessel filled with grapes, fruit and floral motifs. Around it are various game birds, some suspended above and others arranged on the table alongside citrus fruits, pears and other plant elements. A glass goblet and an elaborate ornamental metal vessel complete the composition.

The work stands out for its extraordinary command of light, wealth of detail and precise rendering of the different textures. The artist skillfully depicts the birds’ plumage, the translucence of the grapes, the delicacy of the flowers, the sheen of the glass and the ceramic and metal surfaces.

The lighting, concentrated on the main elements, emerges from a dark background and creates strong contrasts that lend depth, theatricality and monumentality to the whole.

Its large format and abundance of depicted elements make this painting an especially ambitious composition within the still-life genre.

The artist

José Martorell Puigdomènech was a Spanish painter born in Barcelona in the late 19th century and died in Cervera (Lleida) around the middle of the 20th century.

His artistic output was associated with figurative painting, and he was particularly noted for his still lifes, landscapes and decorative compositions.

In addition to easel painting, he worked in mural decoration and produced works on religious subjects.

His career has been the subject of renewed interest and research by his descendants, and his work is represented in institutional collections, including the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Santander and Cantabria (MAS), which holds a still life by the artist.

Artistic context and influences

The work belongs to the tradition of Baroque still lifes featuring game and fruit, with stylistic affinities to the grand Flemish and Dutch compositions of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Its abundance of elements, naturalistic detail and dramatic chiaroscuro evoke the tradition of Frans Snyders (1579–1657) and Jan Fyt (1611–1661), reinterpreted through 20th-century Spanish academic painting.

Features

Artist: José Martorell Puigdomènech.

Dimensions with frame: 90x140
Dimensions without frame 80x130

School: Spanish, 19th–20th centuries.

Medium: Oil on canvas.

Genre: Still life.

Style: Academicism inspired by the Baroque.

Subject: Grand still life with fruit, flowers, game birds, ceramics and ornamental objects.

Format: Large-scale, horizontal.

Condition

The painting has a highly rich visual surface, with a complex composition and remarkable attention to detail.

Its condition should be assessed using the photographs provided, which form an integral part of the description.

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Packaging and shipping

The work will be carefully and professionally packaged, using protective materials suited to its dimensions to ensure its safety during transport.

Taxes, duties and customs charges arising from shipments outside the European Union will be the buyer’s responsibility. Shipments to islands or remote areas may incur additional charges.