Joaquim Terruella

JOAQUIM TERRUELLA MATILLA (Barcelona, 1891 - 1957).
"San Fermines".
Oil on panel.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 33 x 39,5 cm; 50 x 55,5 cm (frame).

In this work Joaquim Terruella represents a lively scene of the running of the bulls of San Fermin, capturing the moment of tension and movement that occurs in the square during the popular fight.

The scene is constructed with a loose brushstroke, characteristic of Terruella's pictorial language, which synthesizes the figures and prioritizes the general impression of the festive atmosphere. The warm tones of the canopies and the sand contrast with the blue of the sky and the red accents of the scarves and capes, reinforcing the popular and colorful character of the scene. The artist thus succeeds in transmitting the collective energy and festive atmosphere of one of the most emblematic celebrations of Spanish tradition.

Joaquim Terruella Matilla was the nephew and follower of Segundo Matilla and a disciple of Santiago Rusiñol, with whom he traveled to Italy in 1923 and worked for a time in Aranjuez. Throughout his career he exhibited in various cities such as Barcelona, Paris, Madrid, Palma, Zaragoza, Bordeaux and Biarritz, highlighting his exhibitions in the Sala Parés and later in the Sala Gaspar.

His work is preserved in institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Madrid and the Provincial Museum of Lugo.