Eliseu Meifrèn

(Barcelona, 1859 – 1940)

Jardín, estanque y panorámica

n.d.

oil on canvas

60 x 80 cm

Inv. no. P05633

BBVA Collection Spain



Meifrèn is an obvious exponent of the symbiosis of tradition and modernism —tradition in terms of his style of painting, and also his tireless depiction of landscapes, almost as if it were handcrafted reproduction; and modernism because of his connection with the avant-garde artists and movements of his time.

Thanks to several trips to Paris, he was acquainted first hand with the beginnings of the Impressionist movement, which initially did not interest him much. However, little by little, he became less committed with Naturalism and evolved towards a more luminous painting which eschewed nostalgic atmospheres. That was the reason why he is widely considered as one of the pioneers of Impressionism in Spain.

As is usually the case in his gardens, nature itself is the main character in the composition, devoid of human presence, and where the role of architecture is solely to provide a visual reference. The long and undulating brushstrokes of the reflections painted in bright and saturated tones speak of the luminist approach, verging on impressionism, which the artist adopted in his mature period.