A. Bonallach — “Winery interior” — Pen and ink — 1991

Interesting original drawing signed A. Bonallach and dated 1991, executed entirely in pen and India ink on paper.

The work depicts the interior of an old wine cellar or rural room: thick stone walls, wooden beams, a door opening to the outside, and several barrels leaning against the wall. The composition is built through an extraordinary accumulation of lines, cross-hatching, and small ink strokes that define both the different architectural textures and the lighting of the space.

The drawing is structured around a strong contrast between the darkness of the interior and the intense brightness that penetrates through the doorway in the background.

The use of the pen allows the artist to work much like an engraver: areas of shadow are built up through dense networks of cross-hatching, while the illuminated areas retain the natural white of the paper.

The representation of the materials deserves special attention. The irregularity of the stone, the ceiling beams, the door planks, the flooring, and the barrel staves all receive distinct graphic treatments, demonstrating a strong command of descriptive drawing.

The perspective leads toward the open door, which serves as the vanishing point and the main light source of the composition. Everyday elements such as the barrels, containers, and utensils reinforce the traditional character of the room.

Technical Data Sheet

• Author: A. Bonallach.
• Title: Interior of a Wine Cellar.
• Descriptive title assigned for cataloging.
• Date: 1991.
• Technique: Pen and India ink on paper.
• Dimensions: 32.5 × 43.5 cm.
• Signature: Signed and dated “A. Bonallach, 1991” in the lower right corner.
• Subject: Wine cellar interior / rural architecture.
• Style: Figurative drawing.
• Period: Late 20th century.
• Provenance: Private collection.
• Inscriptions: The reverse bears a manuscript note: “Bodega. Técnica tinta china a plumilla” (Wine cellar. Pen and India ink technique).
• Condition: Good general condition, with signs of conservation and handling of the paper visible in the photographs.

Workshop Note

The opening of the door leaves a light area in the background and extends that light across the floor. Around it, the cross-hatching becomes denser on the walls and beneath the ceiling beams. The stone is described with short, irregular strokes, while the barrel staves follow curved and vertical lines. These differences in direction and density make it possible to distinguish the materials within a composition resolved through ink and paper reserves.