José Ventosa Domenech (1897-1982) - Bridge in the Shady Valley

Technical sheet

Bridge in the Shadowy Valley
Author: Josep Ventosa Domènech (Barcelona, 1897–1982)
Chronology: ca. 1945 (inscription on the reverse side)
Technique: oil on canvas
Measurements: 54 × 73 cm (without frame) · 72 × 90 cm (with frame)
Support: Canvas stretched on an original frame by V. Piera, Barcelona.
Style: Catalan Post-Impressionist Landscape Painting
Provenance: Private collection

2. Compositional and iconographic description

The work presents a serene river landscape, centered around a double-arched stone bridge that serves as a visual and symbolic axis: a union between shores, the passage of time, and natural balance.

The scene opens with a luminous mass of trees on both sides of the river, where Ventosa displays his characteristic mastery of vibrant impasto, the modulated greens, and the loose brushstrokes that capture the Mediterranean atmosphere.

The background is closed by a bluish mountain range, worked in glazes that add depth and serenity. The light falls obliquely from a clear sky with high clouds, creating delicate reflections on the water and guiding the eye toward the bridge.

The chromaticism — intense greens, autumnal ochres, and silvery blues — enhances the feeling of a moment suspended in the heart of nature, evoking a pristine, almost idealized rural Catalonia.

3. Style, Context, and Comparisons

Josep Ventosa Domènech is situated within the Catalan landscape tradition of the first half of the 20th century, heir to Joaquim Mir and the luminous sensitivity of Eliseu Meifrèn, though more controlled and naturalistic.

The long, curved, and juicy brushstroke recalls Martí Alsina and the landscape school of Olot, while the atmospheric capture brings to mind Modest Urgell or some bucolic moments by Rusiñol, though without reaching the symbolism of the latter.

His approach is distinguished by chromatic harmony, the absence of narrative artifice, and the pursuit of a natural, kind, and emotional truth, highly valued in contemporary Catalan collecting. This work is a representative example of his maturity, balancing lyricism, observation, and solid technique.