Joaquín Terruela Matilla

JOAQUÍN TERRUELLA MATILLA (Barcelona, 1891–1956)
"Soldiers."
Oil on panel.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 31 x 30.5 cm; 46 x 45 cm (frame).
He was the nephew and student of Segundo Matilla. He traveled to Italy with Santiago Rusiñol. He specialized in landscape and genre painting. He exhibited in Barcelona at the Goya Gallery, the Sala Parés, the Sala Gaspar, and the Sala Busquets; in Madrid; in Zaragoza; and in various French cities. His works can be found in the Museums of Modern Art in Barcelona and Madrid, as well as in private collections in Barcelona and Madrid. He was primarily a landscape painter, following in the wake of Impressionism. Influenced by Eliseu Meifrèn, he developed a highly personal style. His landscapes featuring coastal scenes, full of light, are highly sought after; he rendered them with a frank and effortless brushwork. He also explored folkloric themes, delving into the characters without reducing them to clichés, as can be seen in this scene featuring a group of soldiers. In this scene, the swift and impetuous brushstrokes are balanced by a carefully studied composition. The strength of his personality lies in this synergy between the spontaneity of his brushwork and his deliberate compositional study.