A monumental work that merges lyrical abstraction with dreamlike figurative elements, created by one of the undisputed figures of contemporary Catalan avant-garde and accompanied by a provenance label from Galería Sala Parés.
Gerard Sala (Tona, 1942 – Badalona, 2024) is a fundamental name for understanding the evolution of Catalan painting in the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century. Trained at the Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts and strongly linked to academic teaching, his work is characterized by a constant search for rhythm, often establishing direct bridges between painting, poetry, and music.
Allegro Vivace, dated February 1989 ("II - 89"), is a superb example of this artistic synesthesia. The title, a musical term indicating a rapid and brilliant tempo, is visually translated onto the paper through the dynamism of its elements: floating human figures, a tense feline in the lower plane, and decontextualized everyday objects, such as the director's chair, gravitating in an ethereal space dominated by deep blues. The mixed media on paper allows Sala to superimpose layers of color and texture, creating a material and rich surface. This superposition generates a vibrant three-dimensional space where gestural brushstrokes coexist with pure color patches, endowing the composition with a forceful and expansive movement.
Technical details
Artist: Gerard Sala (1942–2024)
Title:Allegro Vivace
Year: 1989
Style: Neofiguration / Lyrical Abstraction
Technique: Mixed media on paper
Artwork Dimensions: 120 x 150 cm
Signature: Signed and dated by hand in the upper left corner ("Gerard Sala II - 89").
Provenance: Original label from Galería Sala Parés in Barcelona (Registration 15.050, dated 2.06.93). Additional identifiers on the reverse.
Condition: Excellent.
The Taller Note
It is an energetic, visually striking painting. The overlapping layers create a vibrant three-dimensional space where gestural marks coexist with patches of pure colour, giving the composition a forceful, expansive movement.
