Valencian School (XX) - The dance of the peasants

The dance of the farmers

Technical Data Sheet

Author: Gutiérrez (signature in the lower right corner; identity to be documented).
Chronology: circa 1970–1990.
Technique: oil on canvas.
Measurements: 50 × 61 cm (artwork) · 56 × 66 cm (framed).
Support: canvas on a wooden frame; clean reverse side and modern craftsmanship.
Style: Mediterranean customs rooted in post-impressionist and luminist traditions.
Conservation state: very good; fresh and stable pictorial layer, without visible craquelures.

Compositional and iconographic description

Choral scene of the ball pagès in the foreground, with six figures in traditional attire (green skirts and yellow scarves for them; white shirts and dark vests for the men), dancing on the shores of the sea.

In the background, the bay of Eivissa and the stepped silhouette of Dalt Vila with its cathedral, creating a recognizable urban backdrop.

Paste-like and vibrant brushstroke, with spatula touches; malva-violet chromaticism in the sky and shadows that enhance the white textiles and the earthy greens of the ground.

The circular dynamism of the bodies and the castanets play bring rhythm and festivity, capturing a characteristic ethnographic moment of the Pitiüsas.

Style, School, and Historical Context

The work is rooted in the Balearic and Levantine tradition of the mid- and late-20th century, inheriting Valencian luminism and Mediterranean costumbrism.

It dialogues with the colorful and atmospheric gaze that artists like Laureà Barrau and Rigoberto Soler dedicated to Ibiza, and with the vibrant material of post-impressionist lineage.

The emphasis on oblique light, the cool-luminous palette, and the fragmented stroke place the painting within the orbit of workshops and active circles in Ibiza in the second half of the last century.

Aesthetic and Comparative Evaluation

A piece with strong iconographic appeal due to its combination of a recognizable landscape and festive character, executed with skill, a generous application, and a great sense of color.

The motif of the ball pagès and the view of Dalt Vila align it with works demanded by the Balearic market of the post-war and late Franco/Transition period, where the best examples — in a luminist key — achieve solid collector consideration.

It is recommended to document the 'Gutiérrez' firm (1970–1990) in local archives and catalogs, as a precise attribution within the Ibizan context could increase its exclusivity and value.