Josep de Togores

JOSEP DE TOGORES I LLACH (Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 1893–Barcelona, 1970).
"Portrait of a Woman."
Oil on canvas.
Signed.
Measurements: 90 x 74 cm; 103 x 86 cm (frame).

A portrait with a powerful presence, in which the female figure is rendered with a blend of elegance, introspection, and quiet authority. The figure leans relaxed in an armchair with curved arms, her hands resting in her lap. The composition is built on a strong chromatic contrast: the depth of the dark dress set against the luminous vibrancy of the blue background, which envelops the figure and accentuates her presence.

The face, rendered with confident and nuanced brushwork, embodies the expressive intensity of the work: the direct gaze, the red lips, and the reserved expression lend the model a distinguished, almost distant presence. Togores also attaches great importance to the details that articulate the portrait’s personality: the earrings, the watch, the ring, the polished nails, and the white handkerchief add touches of worldly refinement without disrupting the overall austerity of the image.

Josep de Togores i Llach was a singular figure in 20th-century Catalan art. Initially associated with Noucentisme and the artistic renewal of the early decades of the century, his work evolved through Mediterranean classicism, Cubist influence, and figurative art of great formal solidity. The Reina Sofía Museum has highlighted him as a key artist for understanding the links between the Spanish artistic renewal and the European avant-garde, particularly in his work from 1914 to 1931. His work is represented in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, which lists him as Josep de Togores Llach, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 1893–Barcelona, 1970, and in the collection of the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid.