Enrique Munné (1880-1949) - El pueblo

Pictura Subastas presents this magnificent artwork by Enrique Munné, depicting a small rural settlement extended along a hillside and surrounded by fields, trees, and mountains, in a harmonious celebration of the landscape and life integrated with nature. The painting stands out for its excellent technique and the high pictorial quality it conveys.

· Framed dimensions: 64x83.5x3 cm.
· Unframed dimensions: 54x72 cm.
· Oil on panel hand-signed by the artist at the lower right.
· The piece is in good conservation condition.
· The work is sold with a beautiful frame (included in the auction as a gift).

The work comes from an exclusive private collection in Girona.

Important note: the photographs included are an integral part of the lot description. Digital mockup representation; there may be differences from the actual item in color, scale, and details.

The painting will be professionally packed by IVEX expert (https://www.instagram.com/ivex.online/), using high-quality materials to ensure its protection. The shipping price covers both the cost of professional packing and the transport itself.
Shipping will be carried out by Correos, GLS or NACEX with tracking. International shipping available.

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This painting presents an extensive rural panorama viewed from an elevated position, where a small cluster of buildings is integrated among slopes, fields and vegetation. In the center of the scene stand several light-toned volumes in pinkish, purplish and violet hues, grouped on the ground as an architectural core that appears to adapt to the slope. Surrounding it unfolds a wide, undulating landscape, rich in chromatic contrasts and changes in level. The image conveys the impression of a living territory, shaped by both nature and human presence, under a soft clarity that enhances the variety of colors.

The composition is organized through a succession of planes that guide the gaze from the buildings and roofs in the foreground to the distant hills on the horizon. At the bottom, fragments of homes with reddish, pinkish and violet roofs appear, some partially hidden by vegetation and by the irregular terrain. These nearby houses invite the viewer into the scene and create the sense of observing the landscape from another inhabited elevation, perhaps from a path, a natural terrace, or a nearby hillside.

In the center rises the most prominent element of the work: a grouping of large light-form shapes that recalls a town settled on a rocky slope. Their surfaces present a rich combination of pale pinks, whites, grays, violets and delicate bluish nuances. The buildings overlap and rise progressively, creating a compact and irregular structure that seems to emerge directly from the earth. The absence of rigid order gives the place an ancient, organic character deeply tied to the landscape.

Some of these central shapes have vertical, angular profiles that evoke raised walls, narrow façades or rock formations adapted as living spaces. The light falls on their broader faces and makes them the main luminous focus of the composition, while the sides and lower areas are defined by dark shadows. This contrast reinforces the volume of the whole and allows a clear perception of its dominant position over the valley.

To the right appears an isolated building with a sloped roof in violet tones, situated on a small elevation. Its separated presence arouses curiosity and provides a point of balance against the large central core. The triangular shape of the roof stands out against the greens and yellows of the surroundings, while the dark base seems to blend with the slope. This solitary dwelling suggests simple rural architecture, adapted to the topography and surrounded by a wide landscape.

In the lower right zone other dispersed buildings are distinguishable, recognizable by their reddish and pinkish roofs. Some are almost hidden among patches of vegetation, paths and irregularities, while others are more clearly visible. The irregular distribution of these houses creates the impression of a settlement extended across the mountain, with no rigid streets or evident boundaries. Each building seems to occupy whatever space the terrain permits, reinforcing the union between inhabited space and nature.

The foreground is dominated by an intense mix of greens, yellows, ochres, browns and violets. Vegetative forms extend in all directions, creating a dynamic surface, traversed by paths, allotments and shaded areas. The chromatic richness suggests a warm landscape, perhaps observed in a season when grass and fields begin to acquire golden tones. Small variations in color allow distinguishing different land types and give great vitality to the scene.

Between the central buildings and the foreground houses opens a darker zone, composed of deep browns, bluish greens, garnets and violets. This space acts as a shaded band that increases the sense of slope. It could correspond to a hollow, a ravine, or a part of the hillside covered by denser vegetation. Its chromatic depth makes the lighter volumes above appear even more luminous and elevated.

On the left extends a wide area of fields bathed in yellowish, green and ochre tones. The ground seems to descend gently from the back to the center of the composition, punctuated by small color variations suggesting paths, crops or clearings among vegetation. The brightness of this part contrasts with the blue-toned mass of the right valley and provides the landscape with an attractive alternation between warm and cool zones.

Above these fields rise several trees with slender, dark trunks. Some appear almost bare, with vertical branches reaching the sky, while others retain masses of green, yellowish, bluish and brown leaves. Their silhouettes introduce an ascending rhythm and break the horizontal sweep of the distant hills. The darkest tree on the left has an especially intense presence and serves as a contrasting element against the open brightness of the fields.

The trees around the central core seem to envelop and protect the buildings. Their slender trunks distribute at different heights and create a delicate vertical weave over the landscape. Some are barely distinguished by violet or brown tones, while others stand out thanks to small light reflections. This vegetation adds a sense of intimacy to the settlement and softens the geometric harshness of its walls and roofs.

In the central upper area there appears a small cluster of flowers or intensely yellow plants, visible on one of the elevations. Although a small detail, its brightness draws the eye and adds a note of freshness to the whole. This yellow point dialogues with the golden fields on the left and the sunny areas on the right, visually linking different parts of the composition.

The right side of the landscape is occupied by a deep expanse of bluish and greenish vegetation. The tones of dark blue, gray, turquoise and violet blend into a large mass that seems to correspond to a hillside covered by trees and shadows. This cool zone contrasts with the yellows and ochres of adjacent fields, creating one of the most expressive contrasts in the image. The darkness of the valley adds depth and makes the central part advance visually toward the viewer.

As the gaze moves away, details simplify and shapes become broad color bands. The mid-slopes show a mix of blues, grayish greens and violets, while the horizon is defined by a long elevation with a soft profile. This progressive transition generates a considerable sense of distance. The landscape seems to continue beyond what is depicted, extending toward a silent and sparsely inhabited territory.

The line of the horizon traverses almost the entire upper part and separates the mountains from the sky with a gentle undulation. In some spots, small violet elevations protrude above the crest and break its continuity. The mountains do not appear monumental or abrupt, but serene and distant, enveloped by an atmosphere that softens their profiles. Their presence closes the composition without limiting the sense of breadth.

The sky occupies a relatively narrow band, dominated by whites, creams, soft grays and delicate blue-tinted hues. Its uniform clarity provides luminosity to the whole and avoids competing with the chromatic intensity of the earth. There are no clearly defined clouds, but a tranquil atmospheric surface that seems to envelop the hills. This simplicity allows all attention to focus on the complexity of the lower landscape.

The chromatic range possesses extraordinary variety. The pinks and purples of the central buildings relate to the roofs in the foreground, while greens run through fields, trees and slopes. The yellows and ochres suggest illuminated areas and dry lands; deep blues create shade and distance; and garnet and browns provide firmness to the nearest parts. The combination of warm and cool colors maintains a constant balance and endows the landscape with intense emotional richness.

The light seems to distribute irregularly over the territory, illuminating certain plots and leaving others in shadow. The yellow and light greens appear to receive direct illumination, while blues and violets indicate deeper or protected areas. This alternation produces a sense of atmospheric movement, as if the light advances across the hills and continually alters the appearance of the landscape.

The elevated perspective allows simultaneously to contemplate numerous elements without losing their relation to the whole. The nearby houses establish scale; the central core organizes the composition; the trees mark the different planes; the fields bring brightness; and the mountains widen the horizon. The viewer can tour the work slowly, stopping at small structures, paths, patches of vegetation, and color changes that reveal the territory’s complexity.

The scene conveys a deep sense of isolation and serenity. There are no human figures or obvious signs of immediate activity, though the abundance of homes indicates a inhabited place. This absence of people allows imagining a silent population during the day’s tranquil hours. The houses seem to guard stories inside them, while the landscape remains vast and stable around them.

There is also a perceived dialogue between permanence and transformation. The hills and terrain suggest an ancient nature, while the buildings reveal the human will to find shelter and settle in a challenging space. The buildings do not dominate the mountain, but seem to grow beside it, using its slopes and adapting to its forms. This coexistence makes the settlement an extension of the landscape itself.

The painting evokes the charm of rural villages located in mountainous regions, where architecture, crops and vegetation form an inseparable unity. The scattered roofs, barely hinted roads and clear façades spark the imagination and suggest a slow life, marked by the seasons and by daily relation with the land. The landscape thus acquires an emotional dimension linked to home, memory and belonging.

In sum, the work represents a picturesque rural settlement spread over a hillside, surrounded by luminous fields, slender trees, abundant vegetation and deep blue mountains. The light-colored buildings in the center emerge as the visual heart of the scene, while dispersed houses and reddish roofs harmoniously integrate into the relief. The richness of pinks, purples, greens, yellows and blues transforms the panorama into a vibrant and evocative vision, capable of conveying the beauty of a territory inhabited in perfect coexistence with nature, silence and the vast horizon.