100 - FÉLIX MESTRES BORRELL (Barcelona, 1872–1933)

FÉLIX MESTRES BORRELL (Barcelona, 1872–1933) “Landscape with Reapers.” Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower left corner. Measurements: 65 x 44 cm; 86 x 64 cm (frame). The work showcases Félix Mestres’s landscape style, developed through naturalistic observation and a solid academic background. The artist organizes the composition into broad horizontal bands: the path and fields in the foreground, the tree-lined horizon and mountains in the background, and a vast sky that dominates the entire scene. The small figures of the reapers and the haystacks introduce the rhythm of agricultural work without detracting from the atmosphere. The loose, light brushstrokes add nuance to the greens, earth tones, and blues, while the subdued lighting unifies the landscape and suggests a moment of shifting light. In contrast to the more precise finish of his portraits, Mestres adopts here a more spontaneous style, particularly free in the sky and vegetation, which lends freshness to the rural scene. Trained at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona, Félix Mestres worked in portraiture, genre painting, mural decoration, and landscape painting. He served as a professor and director of the Barcelona institution, as well as a member of the Royal Catalan Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi. His work is represented in the Prado Museum and the Museu de l’Empordà.