Enric Porta Mestre | "Hens" Genre Scene | Original Gouache on Paper

A scene of great technical freshness where Enric Porta Mestre portrays everyday rural life. This original gouache captures the naturalness of chickens in their environment, demonstrating the author's ability to imbue simple motifs with vividness through a rapid, confident, and precise stroke.

History and Curatorial Analysis

The Rigor of Observation

Enric Porta Mestre (1898-1993) developed a career deeply linked to the sensibility of Catalan art of his time. In this work, the author moves away from complexity to focus on the direct observation of rural life, a recurring theme in his production. The use of gouache—a technique that combines the fluidity of watercolor with the opacity of oil—allows the artist to build volumes using direct color patches, without intermediate steps. The black ink strokes that reinforce the birds' forms are not mere outlines but a structure that gives the piece a latent movement, typical of sketches made from life by the great figurative masters of the 20th century.

Composition and Balance

The work is resolved with masterful economy of means. The light, which bathes the straw and grass environment, is constructed using yellow and orange color planes, upon which the author places the figure of the chickens. It is an exercise in synthesis where the pictorial matter is light and the execution direct, allowing the viewer to appreciate the honesty of the stroke from the first brushstroke to the signature.

Why is this piece an opportunity for your collection?

• Work by a Cataloged Artist: Acquiring a piece by Enric Porta Mestre is to secure a fragment of 20th-century Catalan artistic tradition, characterized by mastery of craft and honesty in stroke.

• Technical Authenticity: Gouache retains a freshness of pigment and chromatic vibrancy difficult to replicate in other techniques, maintaining its intensity intact for decades.

• Cabinet Format: Its dimensions make this piece an exceptional work for cabinet collecting, ideal for display in intimate spaces such as offices, libraries, or small wall compositions where proximity allows appreciation of the drawing's skill.

Technical Sheet

• Artist: Enric Porta Mestre (Barcelona, 1898–1993).

• Title / Theme: "Chickens" (Rural Scene / Genre Painting).

• Technique and Support: Original gouache on paper.

• Dimensions: Artwork: 21 x 12 cm | Frame: 41 x 32 cm.

• Signature: Signed "E. Porta" in the lower right corner.

• Provenance: Secondary art market.

• Condition: Very good. The work is presented protected under glass and framed, preserving the integrity of the paper and the saturation of the pigments.

• Inspection Guarantee: 14-day guaranteed return period to inspect the work in person and verify its pictorial quality.

The Workshop's Note

What makes this work stand out is the absence of artifice. Porta Mestre did not seek to impress with large formats, but rather to demonstrate his mastery of hand on a reduced surface. It is a humble piece in its subject matter but powerful in its execution. The classic frame, with its aged patina and period passe-partout, completes the ensemble, making this gouache a decorative element that adds a touch of classic authenticity to any corner of the home, working especially well in rooms where warmth and sobriety are desired.