Ricardo Manzanet

RICARDO MANZANET MILLÁN (Valencia, 1852 - 1931).
"Lake landscape".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 60 x 100 cm; 80 x 120 cm (frame).

This landscape is a work of maturity of the author that reflects the fullness of his post-impressionist language, where nature becomes a play of light, color and pictorial matter.

In the scene, a meadow unfolds around a farmhouse or group of rural houses, located next to a sheet of calm water. The artist builds the landscape with short, loose and compact brushstrokes, which compose a chromatic symphony of greens, ochers, whites and yellows, evoking the humid air of the Valencian riverside. In contrast to the liveliness of the meadow, the water of the lake is serene and mirror-like, reflecting a silver sky that brings calm and balance to the composition.

An outstanding landscape and flower painter, Manzanet trained at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in his native city, and then completed his studies in Barcelona at the Sant Jordi School. Specializing in landscape painting, he also cultivated the portrait genre. He held several exhibitions, and participated in artistic contests and competitions such as the Fine Arts Exhibition of Barcelona in 1888 or the National Exhibition of Madrid, in one of whose editions he was awarded the third medal.