Rafael Durancamps

RAFAEL DURANCAMPS I FOLGUERA (Sabadell, 1891 - Barcelona, 1979).
"Barbershop.
Oil on panel.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 73 × 82 cm.

Faithful to his sensibility for the interiors and the scenes of environment, Rafael Durancamps turns this "Barber's shop" into an image of refined daily life. The barber, concentrated on his task, occupies the central axis of the composition, while the empty armchairs, the mirror, the bottles, the work tools and the small paintings on the wall complete a lively space, full of discreet details and silent narration.

The work stands out for the fluidity of the brushstroke and the clarity with which the artist organizes the room. The large mirror in the background visually enlarges the space and introduces an attractive play of reflections, lights and superimposed planes. The palette, dominated by whites, grays, earths and bluish notes, gives the whole a clear, intimate and modern atmosphere.

Durancamps avoids anecdotal costumbrismo to focus on the elegance of the composition, the light and the pictorial matter. The barbershop thus appears almost as a small everyday scene, where each object contributes to build a scene of balance, observation and memory.

Durancamps trained with Vila Cinca at the Industrial School of Arts and Crafts in Sabadell and maintained a close relationship with Joaquín Mir, whose influence can be perceived in the coloring of his first stage. He made his debut in 1917 in the Layetanas Galleries in Barcelona and later studied the masters of the Prado Museum and traveled to Italy.

In 1921 he moved to Paris, where he lived for several years and exhibited at the Zak Gallery, encouraged by Picasso. After returning to Spain he settled in San Sebastian, maintaining a constant collaboration with the Sala Parés in Barcelona. He also exhibited in Madrid, Sabadell, Bilbao, Valencia, London and Philadelphia.

His work is preserved in museums in Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastian and Buenos Aires, among other collections.