Pere Ysern

PERE YSERN I ALIÉ (Barcelona, 1875–Barcelona, 1946).
“Interior with a Woman Arranging Flowers.”
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower margin.
Measurements: 93 x 54 cm; 115 x 75 cm (frame).

This interior scene broadens the public’s perception of Pere Ysern—whose work is primarily associated with Parisian landscapes and dance scenes—and reveals his interest in depicting modern life in a domestic setting. The female figure, absorbed in an everyday activity, allows the artist to focus the composition on the study of light, color, and the atmosphere of the interior.

The scene reveals Ysern’s personal assimilation of Impressionism following his stay in Paris between 1899 and 1901. Without completely dissolving the forms, the painter employs a nimble brushstroke and shifting light to transform the domestic scene into a pictorial exploration of the effects of natural light.

Ysern trained at the academy of Pere Borrell del Caso, helped found the group El Rovell de l’Ou, and furthered his studies in Rome before establishing close ties with the Parisian art scene. His work is held at the MACBA, the Musée du Luxembourg (Paris), the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, the La Caixa Foundation, and in major private collections.