Isidre Nonell

ISIDRE NONELL I MONTURIOL (Barcelona, 1872–1911).
“Teresa,” 1906.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated “nonell / 1906-” in the lower right corner. Signed “nonell” on the reverse, directly on the canvas.
On the reverse, it retains four historical labels, including one from the 1910 Faianç Català exhibition, bearing the number 42 and the handwritten title *De la Teresa*, as well as a label from Barrachina & Ramoneda.
Condition: The work shows no evidence of repainting. There is a restoration intervention intended to repair a clean cut in the canvas, located above the protagonist’s face.
Measurements: 58.5 x 48 cm; 83 x 70 cm (frame).

Attached is a study and authenticity report issued by Dr. Glòria Escala Romeu, a specialist in Isidre Nonell and author of the catalog raisonné of his paintings, dated August 4, 2026. The work has been recognized as an original and included in the catalog raisonné of the artist’s paintings.

Exhibitions: “Exhibition of a large portion of the works painted and drawn since 1900 by Nonell*, Barcelona, Faianç Català, January 15–February 13, 1910, number 42, presented under the title *De la Teresa*, according to the original label preserved on the reverse.

An exceptional work within Isidre Nonell’s body of work, both for its unmistakable nature as an individual portrait and for the extraordinary strength of its historical documentation. Painted in 1906, it represents one of the few examples in which the artist fully embraces the portrait genre, abandoning the deliberately vague identity and dejected poses that characterize many of his earlier female figures.

Nonell depicts the model in a three-quarter view, facing left, with her head held high and a steady, self-assured demeanor. Her alert and penetrating gaze extends beyond the pictorial space, without seeking direct contact with the viewer. This posture, combined with the definition of her features and the care taken with her hairstyle and clothing, conveys the presence of a specific, recognizable person—not that of a generic human type or a figure constructed solely as an expression of a mood.
Particularly significant is the earring visible between her hair and her cheek. In a body of work typically characterized by the austerity of its subjects, this adornment introduces a very rare mark of distinction. As Glòria Escala points out, there is no other known female figure by Nonell who appears adorned with earrings or who shows similar signs of a relatively affluent social status. This detail reinforces the painting’s unique character and its distinctly portraiture-oriented intent.

The model stands out against an olive-green background devoid of spatial references, a technique through which Nonell focuses all attention on the figure. The simplicity of the background is a hallmark of the painting, contrasting with the rich color palette of the clothing: pinks, greens, reds, and oranges come together in the floral-patterned shawl, a decorative choice reminiscent of related paintings such as *Soledad* (1906), and *Maruja* (1907). Color ceases to serve a merely descriptive function and becomes an autonomous pictorial element, endowed with intensity and vibrancy.

The face is rendered with small, precise brushstrokes, while the hair forms a dark, compact mass, barely touched by brief flashes of light. Side lighting falls on the forehead, nose, and cheeks, accentuating the modeling and the boldness of the features. Toward the bust, the brushstrokes become broader, freer, and more expressive, organized into short, parallel strokes that constitute one of the artist’s most characteristic techniques. The figure thus acquires a solid, almost sculptural presence, linked to the admiration Nonell held for the work of Auguste Rodin.

The painting dates to a decisive moment in his career. Following the negative reception of his 1902 and 1903 exhibitions at the Sala Parés, between 1906 and 1907 Nonell began to reestablish his presence in Barcelona’s art scene. Without completely abandoning his introspective figures with their somber tones, he introduced women with a more upright posture, a more serene expression, and greater individuality. “De la Teresa” is one of the earliest and most significant manifestations of this shift in direction.

His participation in the major solo exhibition held at the Faianç Català in 1910 was of fundamental importance. That exhibition brought together more than 130 oil paintings created between 1901 and 1910 and marked the painter’s definitive public recognition, following years of misunderstanding and limited commercial success. Since no catalog was published, the original label preserved on the reverse—numbered and titled—constitutes particularly significant documentary evidence, both for reconstructing the exhibition history of the work and for establishing its authenticity.

The identification of the work in a reproduction published by the magazine *Art* in 1934, its inclusion in Carolina Nonell’s 1963 monograph, and its inclusion, as number 141, in Glòria Escala’s catalog raisonné complete an exceptional documentary record. The convergence of these historical, bibliographic, stylistic, and material references grants *De la Teresa* a particularly significant place within Isidre Nonell’s body of work and within his limited output of portraiture proper.

Isidre Nonell (Barcelona, 1872–1911) was one of the most distinctive figures of the Catalan pictorial renewal of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Trained at the Escuela de La Lonja and later associated with Barcelona’s avant-garde circles, he was a member of the Colla del Safrà alongside artists such as Joaquim Mir, Ramon Pichot, and Juli Vallmitjana—a group that championed a new sensibility distinct from the dominant academic tradition. After his early explorations focused on scenes of everyday life and marginalized figures, he moved to Paris in 1897, where he came into contact with Symbolist and Post-Impressionist movements. There he exhibited at venues such as the Salon du Champ de Mars and the gallery of Ambroise Vollard, one of the leading promoters of modern European art. This period was decisive in the evolution of his artistic language, characterized by expressive brushwork, an intense concern for the psychology of the subject, and a personal use of color. Upon his return to Barcelona, Nonell produced his most mature work, focusing particularly on female portraits, in which he achieved extraordinary emotional depth. His depictions of Romani women and anonymous figures—far removed from traditional genre painting—became a reflection on identity, dignity, and the human condition. His painting, with its strong personality and ahead of its time, exerted a fundamental influence on the evolution of Catalan art toward modernity.
Today, his work is part of the collections of institutions such as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, the MAPFRE Foundation, and the Museu de l’Empordà, among others.