Francesc Carbonell Massabé (1928) - Port of Tarragona
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Port of Tarragona, an oil painting from the 1970s–1980s by Francesc Carbonell Massabé (1928), Spain, in a Catalan Mediterranean style, sold with frame and hand-signed, original edition, 52 × 52 cm (framed).
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Description from the seller
Technical sheet
Port of Tarragona
Author: Francesc Carbonell Massabé (1928)
School: Catalan – Mediterranean Luminism
Chronology: Second half of the 20th century
Technique: Oil on panel
Measurements: 34 × 34 cm (work) · 52 × 52 cm (with frame)
Marco: Elegant square wooden frame in a warm reddish tone, with satinized grain and deep molding.
Condition: Excellent
2. Compositional and iconographic description
The work depicts a Mediterranean port with a serene atmosphere, where fishing boats gently rest on water that reflects sails, hulls, and sky with loose and vibrant brushwork. Carbonell Massabé uses a fresh palette dominated by blues, earth tones, and pinkish touches that evoke the marine clarity typical of the Costa Brava and Mataró, recurring locations in his work.
The composition is organized in diagonals that lead the eye toward the port background, with industrial cranes suggested through agile strokes, creating a balance between the working landscape and everyday beauty. The boat in the foreground, treated with a luminous impasto, acts as a visual anchor and adds intimacy to the overall scene.
His style connects with the sensitivity of Joaquim Mir, Eliseu Meifrèn, and Josep R. Clará, artists who, like him, interpret the Mediterranean through an emotional, vibrant, and atmospheric brushstroke. The scene, despite its apparent simplicity, carries a strong poetic charge: it is a celebration of maritime work and the tranquility at the water's edge.
3. STYLE, CONTEXT AND EVALUATION
Carbonell Massabé is one of the Catalan references of the 20th century in Mediterranean landscape painting, a direct heir of Catalan Post-Impressionism and the Luminism of Pinazo and Sorolla. His painting combines direct observation, gestural immediacy, and a remarkable ability to capture reflections and atmospheres.
This table stands out for its chromatic harmony, mature composition, and impasto brushwork, characteristic elements of its most sought-after production. Comparatively, its language approaches that of Mestre i Nicolau and Puigdollers, though with a warmer and more spontaneous imprint.
The result is a work full of lyricism, balanced, modern, and deeply Mediterranean, ideal for collectors of 20th-century Catalan painting seeking quality, regional identity, and artistic firmness.
Seller's Story
At Barcelona Art Gallery, we are a large family of art collectors in Barcelona who have been acquiring all kinds of paintings for 2 centuries.
Headquartered in the Les Corts neighborhood of Barcelona.
We offer part of our private collection for auction: high period and modern paintings that we have been acquiring over time, mainly from art galleries, antique dealers, auctions, private collections and very diverse origins.
Translated by Google TranslateTechnical sheet
Port of Tarragona
Author: Francesc Carbonell Massabé (1928)
School: Catalan – Mediterranean Luminism
Chronology: Second half of the 20th century
Technique: Oil on panel
Measurements: 34 × 34 cm (work) · 52 × 52 cm (with frame)
Marco: Elegant square wooden frame in a warm reddish tone, with satinized grain and deep molding.
Condition: Excellent
2. Compositional and iconographic description
The work depicts a Mediterranean port with a serene atmosphere, where fishing boats gently rest on water that reflects sails, hulls, and sky with loose and vibrant brushwork. Carbonell Massabé uses a fresh palette dominated by blues, earth tones, and pinkish touches that evoke the marine clarity typical of the Costa Brava and Mataró, recurring locations in his work.
The composition is organized in diagonals that lead the eye toward the port background, with industrial cranes suggested through agile strokes, creating a balance between the working landscape and everyday beauty. The boat in the foreground, treated with a luminous impasto, acts as a visual anchor and adds intimacy to the overall scene.
His style connects with the sensitivity of Joaquim Mir, Eliseu Meifrèn, and Josep R. Clará, artists who, like him, interpret the Mediterranean through an emotional, vibrant, and atmospheric brushstroke. The scene, despite its apparent simplicity, carries a strong poetic charge: it is a celebration of maritime work and the tranquility at the water's edge.
3. STYLE, CONTEXT AND EVALUATION
Carbonell Massabé is one of the Catalan references of the 20th century in Mediterranean landscape painting, a direct heir of Catalan Post-Impressionism and the Luminism of Pinazo and Sorolla. His painting combines direct observation, gestural immediacy, and a remarkable ability to capture reflections and atmospheres.
This table stands out for its chromatic harmony, mature composition, and impasto brushwork, characteristic elements of its most sought-after production. Comparatively, its language approaches that of Mestre i Nicolau and Puigdollers, though with a warmer and more spontaneous imprint.
The result is a work full of lyricism, balanced, modern, and deeply Mediterranean, ideal for collectors of 20th-century Catalan painting seeking quality, regional identity, and artistic firmness.
Seller's Story
At Barcelona Art Gallery, we are a large family of art collectors in Barcelona who have been acquiring all kinds of paintings for 2 centuries.
Headquartered in the Les Corts neighborhood of Barcelona.
We offer part of our private collection for auction: high period and modern paintings that we have been acquiring over time, mainly from art galleries, antique dealers, auctions, private collections and very diverse origins.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Artist
Francesc Carbonell Massabé (1928)
Sold with frame
Yes
Sold by
Gallery
Edition
Original
Title of artwork
Port of Tarragona
Technique
Oil painting
Signature
Hand signed
Country of Origin
Spain
Condition
Excellent condition
Height
52 cm
Width
52 cm
Weight
2 kg
Style
Post-Impressionism
Period
1970-1980
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