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an oil painting of a woman with a black head and a white backgroundan image of a painting of a woman with a black headan image of a painting of a man with black hairpainting of a man with a black hair and a white shirtan oil painting of a black man ' s face with a serious lookan image of a painting of a vase of flowers on a tablean old wooden frame with a painting of a bird on it
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12 - Tomás Moragas (Girona, 1837 - Barcelona, 1906) Study of an A…

Estimate €5,000 - €15,000
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Description
Tomás Moragas (Girona, 1837 - Barcelona, 1906) Study of an African young. Oil on canvas. Signed. 64 x 50 cm Magnificent portrait depicting a young African man, executed with extraordinary pictorial sensitivity and a remarkable capacity for direct observation. The work concentrates the artist’s entire attention on the sitter’s face, dispensing with anecdotal elements in order to focus exclusively on expression, light, and human presence. The intensity of the gaze is undoubtedly one of the most striking aspects of the composition. With remarkably economical means, the painter succeeds in conveying a profound sense of inner life, capturing the individuality of the sitter with exceptional subtlety. Equally noteworthy is the treatment of the mouth, slightly parted, a device that lends naturalness to the figure and avoids any sense of academic rigidity. Particular interest lies in the chromatic construction of the flesh tones. Far from relying on conventional solutions, Moragas models the volumes through a sophisticated interplay of warm tones and cool reflections, creating in the illuminated areas almost metallic or silvery highlights that endow the figure with extraordinary plastic strength. The painted surface acquires an almost sculptural quality, evoking the appearance of polished bronze illuminated by soft light. The barely sketched background and the absence of narrative elements allow the viewer to observe the artist’s creative process directly, transforming the painting into an exceptional testimony of studio practice and life study. Tomàs Moragas i Torras was born in Girona in 1837 and developed much of his artistic training in Barcelona. He studied at the School of La Llotja, where he became acquainted with José Tapiró and Mariano Fortuny, maintaining a close friendship with the latter and later joining his intimate circle during his years in Rome. Upon his return to Barcelona in 1876, he pursued an active career as both artist and teacher, becoming professor at the School of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi and at the School of Arts and Crafts of Vilanova i la Geltrú. He also played an important role in the artistic life of Catalonia, serving as artistic advisor to the Barcelona Universal Exposition of 1888. His oeuvre encompassed both Fortuny-inspired genre scenes and Orientalist subjects, among which Moroccan Horseman, now preserved in the Museu d’Art Modern de Barcelona, is particularly noteworthy. This biographical information is summarised from the Museo Nacional del Prado, based on Fernández Martínez, D., Enciclopedia del Museo Nacional del Prado, Vol. V, Madrid, 2006, p. 1578. Beyond its documentary interest, the present work stands out for the extraordinary dignity with which the sitter is portrayed. Far removed from anecdotal exoticism, the figure is conceived as an individual and profoundly human presence. The artist does not seek to describe a type; he seeks to portray a person. It is precisely in this capacity for direct observation, in the freshness of execution, and in the psychological intensity of the gaze that much of the power of this exceptional study resides. For some gazes can carry an entire painting.
About the sale Dialogues with the Past: Vestigia
Auction location
Auction time 07/02/2026 at 7:00 PM
Lot description modified on 06/19/2026 at 11:18 AM
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