Francisco Hernández Monjó

FRANCISCO HERNÁNDEZ MONJÓ (Mahón, Menorca, 1862 - Barcelona, 1937).
"Boats".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 30 x 59,5 cm; 41 x 70,5 cm (frame).
Outstanding sailor, specialized in the painting of ships, Hernández Monjó was the main renovator of the marine genre in the Balearic Islands, at the end of the XIX century. Born into a family of silversmiths, from a very young age he dedicated himself to drawing the ports and ships of Mahón. At the age of twenty-three he was already teaching art in Mahón, where he had numerous disciples. In 1890 he settled in Barcelona, where he completed his training at the School of Fine Arts with Eliseo Meifrén. That same year he took part in the National Exhibition of Madrid. He also participated in the General Exhibitions of Barcelona in 1894 and 1920, and in 1936 in the I Saló d'Independents. He also held exhibitions in South America, where his work was very well received. In 1898, the Tasso house of Barcelona commissioned him a collection of watercolors of warships for the book "La Armada Española". He exhibited in Mahón, Madrid, Barcelona and South America, always being well received by the public and critics. In a first stage, his work can be framed within the realist painting of the second half of the 19th century. Drawing predominates over color, the brushstroke is flat and not very impastoed, and the chromatic range is soft and uniform, dominating the blues, greens and whites. They are often works of low horizon, with the sky occupying most of the painting. In 1890, with his change of residence, a new stage in his painting began, characterized by the influence of Catalan landscape painters, especially Meifrén. Hernández Monjó introduces new elements such as the diagonal composition, where the choppy sea, the boats with sails extended and the contrasting sky are the main motifs. The brushstroke becomes denser, firmer and shorter, and warmer tones such as pinks and reds are introduced in his palette. The last stage of his work, from 1920 onwards, is characterized by a luminous exaltation of impressionist roots and by a more impastoed brushstroke, with vivid tones, resulting in compositions of enormous strength. The subject matter expands, including views of the Catalan coast and its surroundings. Hernández Monjó is mainly represented in private collections, although he also has works in the Museum of Menorca, the Ateneo de Mahón, the Nautical School of Barcelona and the Museu de les Drassanes in Barcelona.