333 - FRANCESC PAUSAS COLL (Barcelona, 1877–1944) - Carnival

FRANCESC PAUSAS COLL (Barcelona, 1877–1944) - Carnival Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 131 x 192 cm. Dimensions with frame: 143 x 204 cm. An important painting by the Catalan artist Francesc Pausas Coll, dating from his time in Cuba, where he produced numerous figurative works, portraits, and scenes of social life. The painting depicts a unique carnival scene featuring three female figures in elaborate costumes, in a composition of great chromatic richness and a distinctly theatrical character. In the foreground, a young woman sits on a Manila shawl decorated with large polychrome floral motifs, wearing a yellow skirt, a pink sash, and a rich, bullfighting-inspired jacket adorned with gold embroidery, evoking the figure of a bullfighter. Her face, with its serene expression and gaze directed toward the viewer, contrasts with the ornamental exuberance of her attire. On the left is a figure identified as Harlequin, his face covered by a black mask, wearing a wide dark ruff and a white suit decorated with large polka dots, holding a stringed musical instrument. In the upper right appears a third female figure in Oriental-inspired clothing, identified as a young Chinese woman, depicted in profile and wearing a wide, dark kimono decorated with floral motifs. Her presence introduces an element of exoticism and sophistication that reinforces the festive atmosphere of the scene. The composition unfolds against a background of blue, green, and gray tones, rendered with loose and suggestive brushstrokes that contrast with the definition of the main figures. Particularly noteworthy are the rendering of the fabrics, the luminosity of the skin tones, and the richness of the ornamental details, as well as the balanced distribution of the figures within this large-format composition. The work reflects Pausas’s artistic sensibility toward the depiction of elegant figures, society scenes, and cosmopolitan settings, combining a solid academic training ...