Alfonso Berral Rubio — Two harvest scenes, 20th century — pair of watercolors on cardstock

Pair of original watercolors by the painter Alfonso Berral Rubio, signed "Berral," depicting two scenes of traditional agricultural work in a rural landscape. Both compositions show peasants engaged in harvesting tasks, surrounded by cereal fields, vernacular architecture, and vegetation, rendered through spontaneous and luminous painting.

The two works share the same pictorial language, characterized by the use of transparent washes, brief brushstrokes, and a warm palette dominated by ochres, siennas, greens, and pinkish tones. The simplification of forms and the broad reserves of white space from the support provide freshness and lightness to the scenes.

In the first watercolor, a peasant appears bent over among the stalks, working with a sickle next to a cereal field. The figure, represented from behind, occupies the foreground, while several rural buildings with reddish roofs, partially hidden by trees and shrubs, can be distinguished in the background. The sky, resolved with soft bluish and grayish washes, provides breadth and depth to the landscape.

The second composition presents a more developed harvesting scene, with two workers among the crops, one of them protected by a wide-brimmed hat. The figures appear integrated into an extensive golden field, before a house with light-colored walls and Arab tile roofing. The sheaves of cereal and agricultural tools complete a representation of traditional field labor.

Berral uses synthetic drawing and rapid brushwork to define the figures and landscape elements. The barely hinted outlines, small color splashes, and contrasts between warm and cool tones allow for the construction of scenes without resorting to overly detailed treatment. The result preserves the spontaneity typical of a sketch from nature, with special attention to light and atmosphere.

The two watercolors constitute a coherent set, both in terms of their subject matter and their dimensions, technique, and chromatic treatment. Both retain the characteristic "Berral" signature in the lower left corner.

About the artist

Alfonso Berral Rubio is a Spanish painter and watercolorist linked to Catalonia, where he developed part of his training and artistic career.

His pictorial training in Barcelona began in 1960, and he was linked to the Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc, an institution with a long tradition in the teaching and practice of the visual arts.

His production includes rural and urban landscapes, architectural views, and figurative scenes, made especially through watercolor and oil painting. Observation of the environment, the treatment of light, and the representation of everyday spaces are important in his work.

Among his documented watercolors are landscapes of Sant Miquel del Fai, Calella de Palafrugell, Badalona, and various other Spanish towns. His pictorial activity has been documented in publications and art archives, as well as in the catalog Cinco escultores y trece pintores, published in Fernán-Núñez in 2024.

Technical sheet

• Author: Alfonso Berral Rubio.

• Title: Two harvesting scenes.

• Date: 20th century, likely second half.

• Technique: Watercolor.

• Support: Cardstock.

• Dimensions: 14 × 16.5 cm each work.

• Number of pieces: 2 original watercolors.

• Signature: Both signed "Berral" in the lower left corner.

• Subject: Rural landscape, peasants, and traditional harvesting tasks.

• Period: 20th-century Spanish figurative painting.

• Condition: Acceptable condition for their age. Both have small perforations near the corners, possibly related to an old mounting, and signs of aging. One of the cardstocks shows more pronounced oxidation and darkening on the margins. The compositions maintain good legibility and chromatic vividness.

Workshop Note

These two watercolors stand out for their thematic unity and spontaneous character. Alfonso Berral captures two moments of traditional harvesting tasks through free-brushwork painting, in which the peasant figures are naturally integrated into the landscape.

The economy of means used to represent the cereal fields is particularly interesting. The successions of brief ochre and reddish brushstrokes suggest the density and movement of the stalks, while the sky and vegetation washes provide depth and luminosity.

The coincidence of the signatures, format, and pictorial treatment makes it possible to present both works as a complementary pair within the artist's landscape and figurative production.