“beach Scene” Josep Serra Santa Serranta (1916-1998)

Josep Serra Santa Serranta (1916-1998) was born in Buenos Aires in 1916 to Spanish parents. He lived in Vilamitjana, Tremp, and later in Sabadell (Barcelona). To the admiration of many, he won his first competition at the age of fourteen and, throughout his long career, won important awards such as the Grand Prix International de Cannes in 1964 and the Commander's Cross of the National Order of Merit. He triumphed in Paris, and French critics hailed him as the Spanish Vlaminck. What is most striking in his painting is the agility of his line, the ease, scope, and richness of his color, his treatment of light, always placed at the service of depth, strength, and boundless genius. This humble personality, however, leaves an invaluable legacy (especially the works created between 1988 and 1994) for the joy and admiration of future generations. As a painter, he favored landscapes of small, abandoned villages, while also painting still lifes and portraits of Gypsy women in Barcelona. He also worked in tempera, fresco, and oil murals in several Catalan churches. The mural he created in the Church of Santa María de Castelldefells (1950-58) and the three chapels in Lleida Cathedral are particularly noteworthy. In 1950, he held solo exhibitions in Terrasa and at the Augusta Gallery in Barcelona. Subsequently, he exhibited in Madrid, Bilbao, Valencia, Paris, the United States, and Japan. His classical style is based on the energetic use of the palette knife and vibrant colors. Oil on panel, signed lower left. Dimensions: 38 x 46 cm; with gilt frame: 56 x 64 cm