Vicente Ferrer Guasch (1917–2008) - Shipyards in the Sun: Boats at Rest

Shipyards in the Sun: Boats at Rest

Vicente Ferrer Guasch, first period (around 1930)
Technical sheet

Author: Vicente Ferrer Guasch (1917–2008)
Shipyards in the Sun: Boats at Rest
Chronology: circa 1930 – Early work, extremely early.
Mixed media technique with oil on canvas.
Measurements: 50 × 61 cm (without frame) · 70 × 80 cm (with frame)
Support: Canvas stretched on original frame.
Signature: Signed in the lower right corner.
Provenance: Private collection
Marco: Magnificent dark classic frame with a golden inner edge, elegant and sturdy, enhancing the warm, earthy atmosphere of the artwork.
Condition: Excellent for its age.

2. Compositional and iconographic description

This work, bathed in an early and intuitive Mediterranean light, reveals an unusual Ferrer Guasch: long before the geometric refinement and his famous Ibizan 'white period,' the young artist experiments here with a warm Impressionism, close to Sorolla and Eliseu Meifrèn, but with the broken and vibrant brushstroke typical of the Catalan novecentists.

The composition depicts two boats stranded in a shipyard, one already resting on wooden beams and the other in the midst of construction. The broad, direct, and free brushstrokes define the volumes without rigidity, while a golden, dusty atmosphere envelops the scene in a halo of industrial and maritime serenity.
The dissolved horizon, barely suggested, adds depth without stealing the spotlight from the boats: true subjects of the work, alive in their stillness.

The sky, treated with a vibrant and undulating texture, acts as a poetic counterpoint to the materiality of the shipyard. The entire scene is conceived as a plein air study, fresh, direct, and luminous, where the youthful energy of the painter is evident.

Style, Context, and Artistic Comparison

This canvas belongs to the very rare early production of Vicente Ferrer Guasch, prior to his white and architectural maturity. Its extreme scarcity in the market makes it a highly exclusive and coveted piece for collectors seeking to understand the aesthetic evolution of the Ibizan master.

In this initial stage — approx. 1930 — the artist dialogues with:

Joaquín Sorolla: for his use of light vibration and depiction of the coastal environment.

Eliseu Meifrèn: for his quick brushwork and his ability to capture maritime life.

Joaquim Mir: in his approach to filtered light and the moving atmosphere.

However, the painting already anticipates the future personality of Ferrer Guasch: the structure of the composition, the interest in naval architecture, and the visual order are clear seeds of his 'geometric-luminous' style, still in development.

The work is presented as an exceptional testimonial, not only artistic but also historical, of the young Ferrer Guasch, before he became an essential figure in Balear painting of the 20th century.