Pere Pruna

PERE PRUNA OCERANS (Barcelona, 1904-1977).
Pair of female portraits.
Drawing on paper.
Signed.
Measurements: 21 x 15,5 cm each, 45,5 x 40 x 2 cm (with frame).

Pair of drawings by Pere Pruna Ocerans, made with a clean, essential and very delicate line. Both female portraits respond to a refined conception of the figure, where the face is defined by a continuous and precise line, almost without shading, entrusting all the expressiveness to the elegance of the contour.

The works show the classical and Mediterranean sensibility characteristic of Pruna, with serene figures, with restrained gaze and idealized features. The economy of means - paper, line and emptiness - reinforces the formal purity of the portraits, giving them an intimate and sophisticated presence.

Pere Pruna was a leading figure in 20th century Catalan art. He began exhibiting at a very young age. In 1921 he moved to Paris, where he received the support of Picasso and became part of the intellectual circles of the city, holding a successful exhibition at the Galerie Percier. He also collaborated in the scenographic field, designing sets for the ballet Les matelots by Diaghilev (1925). Throughout his career he won several awards, including second prize at the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh exhibition (1928) and the Nonell Prize (1936).

His work is preserved in the Reina Sofia Museum, the MNAC and the Museum of Montserrat, among other collections.