43 - JOAQUÍN TERRUELLA MATILLA (Barcelona, 1891–1956)

JOAQUÍN TERRUELLA MATILLA (Barcelona, 1891–1956) "Soldiers." Oil on panel. Signed in the lower left corner. Measurements: 31 x 30.5 cm; 46 x 45 cm (frame). Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. He was the nephew and student of Segundo Matilla. He traveled to Italy with Santiago Rusiñol. He specialized in landscape and genre painting. He exhibited in Barcelona at the Goya Gallery, the Sala Parés, the Sala Gaspar, and the Sala Busquets; in Madrid; in Zaragoza; and in various French cities. His works can be found in the Museums of Modern Art in Barcelona and Madrid, as well as in private collections in Barcelona and Madrid. He was primarily a landscape painter, following in the wake of Impressionism. Influenced by Eliseu Meifrèn, he developed a highly personal style. His landscapes featuring coastal scenes, full of light, are highly sought after; he rendered them with a frank and effortless brushwork. He also explored folkloric themes, delving into the characters without reducing them to clichés, as can be seen in this scene featuring a group of soldiers. In this scene, the swift and impetuous brushstrokes are balanced by a carefully studied composition. The strength of his personality lies in this synergy between the spontaneity of his brushwork and his deliberate compositional study.