J. Wirth

J. WIRTH (Spain, late 19th - early 20th century)
"Boat in storm".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner. Formerly the works of J.Wirth were attributed to Eliseo Meifrén.
It presents faults.
Measurements: 65 x 101 cm; 86 x 120 cm (frame).

Seafaring scene of strong atmospheric load, centered in a boat that advances between the waves in the middle of a storm. The composition is organized by the diagonal of the boat, which introduces depth and movement, while the figures of the sailors reinforce the narrative tension and the effort against the force of the sea.

The artist works the scene with a palette of ochers, greens, grays and muted blues, creating a humid and misty atmosphere. In the background, the lighthouse is silhouetted against the foam and the stormy sky, acting as a visual and symbolic point of orientation within a composition dominated by the instability of the sea.

The work is part of the tradition of marine painting of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in which the coastal landscape becomes the scene of drama, action and atmospheric sensitivity. In the past, works signed J. Wirth were attributed to Eliseo Meifrén, although nowadays this reference should be kept with caution.