JORDI PAGANS MONTSALVATGE | BLUE CADAQUÉS | MASTER OF MEDITERRANEAN VIBRANTISM | HAND-COLORED ETCHING

JORDI PAGANS MONTSALVATGE | CADAQUÉS BLAVA | MASTER OF MEDITERRANEAN VIBRANTISM | HAND-COLORED ETCHING

Exquisite hand-colored view of Cadaqués on an original etching. A print that captures the light, breeze, and serenity of the Costa Brava through Pagans' highly personal lyrical lens.

HISTORY AND CURATORIAL ANALYSIS

The Mastery of Lyrical Landscape and Mediterranean Essence

Jordi Pagans i Montsalvatge (1932-2017) displays in this work his deep and unwavering connection with the Catalan landscape, elevating topography to the category of visual poetry. The artist chooses to portray the most emblematic profile of the Costa Brava: the rugged bay of Cadaqués. The composition is crowned by the unmistakable silhouette of the Santa Maria church, acting as an architectural lighthouse against the immensity of the sea. Pagans structures the gaze from a terrestrial foreground, dominated by the olive grove grid, to project the viewer towards a serene horizon, dotted with the characteristic islets of the Empordà coast.

Visual Narrative and the Workshop's Intervention

The bite of the etching reveals an extraordinarily vibrant and meticulous line, capable of precisely defining both the roughness of the stone and roofs and the organic lushness of the vegetation. However, the soul of this piece resides in its careful hand-coloring. Pagans applies subtle watercolor washes: deep greens that give weight to the olive grove, warm ochres and yellows that highlight the sun-drenched rooftops, and a delicate bluish glaze that unifies the sky and the Mediterranean. The handwritten pencil notation in the right margin —"PAGANS - (cadaques blava)"— transcends a mere signature to become a direct workshop note; it is the testimony of the artist's luminous quest at the printing press, documenting this specific chromatic variant.

WHY THIS PIECE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR COLLECTION?

• Unique Piece Character: The manual watercolor illumination transforms this etching into a work with exclusive pictorial qualities. The chromatic decisions applied by the author ensure that no two prints in his production are exactly alike, giving it a unique pulse.

• Documentary and Topographical Value: Beyond its undeniable representative beauty, the inclusion of the workshop note "cadaques blava" provides the intimacy of the creative process. It is a first-person document of how the artist conceived color and atmosphere for this beloved geographical enclave.

• Aesthetic Potential: The inherent luminosity of the print and the elegance of its Mediterranean palette make it a work of great visual breath. Printed on noble, heavy paper with natural deckled edges, it is capable of bringing serenity, light, and a sophisticated classic accent to any contemporary setting.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Artist: Jordi Pagans i Montsalvatge (Barcelona, 1932 - 2017).

• Title / Theme: Cadaqués blava (Architectural and maritime view).

• Period: Contemporary Art (Catalan lyrical figuration).

• Technique and Medium: Original hand-colored etching (watercolor) on heavy art paper with natural deckled edges.

• Dimensions: Support (Paper): 36 x 29 cm | Plate mark: 27 x 20 cm.

• Signature and Inscriptions: Handwritten pencil notation "PAGANS - (cadaques blava)" in the right margin, indicating workshop guidelines.

• Provenance: Private collection / Workshop stock.

• Condition: Very good. Intact support with clean margins, perfectly defined plate mark, and watercolor pigments that retain their original transparency and freshness.

THE WORKSHOP NOTE

The distinguishing value of this view of Cadaqués lies in how it captures the essence of the Costa Brava through a perfect balance between the rigor of the graphic line and the fluidity of the color wash. The notation "(cadaques blava)" is not a generic title; it is the instruction of a landscape master recording the atmosphere of a precise moment. A deeply evocative print that combines the technical skill of engraving with the unrepeatable character of hand-applied watercolor.

Includes Collector's Dossier: This work comes with an exhaustive research study, technical sheet, and curatorial context prepared and printed by El Taller del Coleccionista, certifying our research and known provenance.