Tomàs Viver Aymerich (1876–1951) - The girl and her doll

Tomàs Viver Aymerich (1876–1951)

The girl in the white dress and her doll.

Oil on canvas, 60 × 50 cm.
Marco: 75 × 65 cm

Technical sheet

Author: Tomàs Viver Aymerich (1876–1951)
School: Catalan, first half of the 20th century.
Technique: oil on canvas
Measurements: 60 × 50 cm (artwork); 75 × 65 cm (framed)
Signature: Signed in the bottom right corner.
Support: Canvas stretched on original frame.
Marco: Magnificent gilded frame with smooth reliefs featuring sinuous and elegant lines, which adds solemnity and enhances the portrait.
Condition: Good, with a homogeneous patina and fine craquelure consistent with its age.

2. Compositional and iconographic description

A work of exquisite sensitivity where Viver Aymerich depicts a girl in an introspective pose, dressed in a luminous white dress edged in pink tones. The palette, dominated by mauves and pearly whites, envelops the scene in a soft atmosphere that enhances the intimate character of the childhood portrait.

The girl holds a popular doll of the era — detailed with warm tones and an innocent expression — symbolizing innocence, affection, and inner world. The artist constructs the face with extraordinary precision: fixed gaze, slightly parted lips, and a frontal light caressing the skin, reminiscent of the great Catalan portraitists.

Viver demonstrates a technical mastery comparable to Modest Teixidor or Pablo Salinas, and the sweet and emotional finish recalls esteemed artists like Émile Munier or Godward in their treatment of idealized childhood.

3. Style, School, and Assessment

Tomàs Viver Aymerich was a prominent Catalan painter specializing in psychological portraiture, characterized by a pursuit of intimate expressiveness rather than solemn poses. This work synthesizes his stylistic maturity: refined naturalism, mastery of light, and delicate detailing that place the piece among the finest Catalan bourgeois portraits of the early 20th century.

The balanced composition, quality of modeling, and impeccable treatment of fabrics and leathers make this portrait a highly attractive piece for collectors of figurative and children's painting. Its rarity and excellent preservation increase its interest within the specialized market.