Manel Pujol Baladas | "With a Couple of Peppers" | Mixed Media and Collage on Canvas (1992) | Collection of 18 Certified Works

A large-format, horizontal oil and collage that exemplifies the material robustness of the Catalan artist Manel Pujol Baladas. An energetic and visceral work where the classical representation of still life is subjected to an aggressive expressionist deconstruction. Through an absolute mastery of the palette knife and volume, the canvas captures the force of contemporary informalism, integrating the physicality of printed paper directly into the pictorial plane through a violent palette dominated by reds, whites, and deep blacks.

History and Curatorial Analysis

The weight of the Spanish School and the legacy of geniuses

The career of Manel Pujol Baladas (Vic, 1947) constitutes a fundamental link between the historical Spanish avant-garde and contemporary art with international projection. Trained at the rigorous Massana School in Barcelona, his technical and conceptual development is intimately linked to his direct and personal relationship with the three pinnacles of 20th-century Spanish art: Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dalí. Pujol Baladas was not merely an observer of these masters; he assimilated from them supreme technique and audacity in facing the pictorial support.

His bond with Salvador Dalí was particularly intense and formative. Pujol Baladas' technical skill reached such a level of virtuosity that he actively collaborated in pictorial execution within the master from Empordà's own studio, perfectly mimicking his glazes and drawing precision. This absolute mastery of the craft earned him the nickname "Dalí's forger" in the press of the time, a media appellation that, far from diminishing his merit, evidenced his unique ability to replicate another's genius. This assimilation stage was the necessary precursor to consciously breaking with academic figuration to forge his own identity in material informalism.

Structure, texture, and chromatic robustness

In "Con un par de pimientos" (1992), Pujol Baladas subjects still life to extreme formal tension. The artist transforms the canvas into an architectural relief using a sophisticated newspaper collage as a structural base. In this work, the paper provides a fractured texture where printed text deliberately peeks out from between the layers of paint (allowing the word "salud" (health), for example, to be read in the center of the composition), introducing direct objective reality in clear inheritance from Picassian synthetic cubism.

Over this paper topography, the author applies energetic impasto. The elements referenced in the title —the peppers and the utensils— are sculpted with thick and relentless strokes of black pigment that forcibly define the volumes. The palette is dramatic and boasts high visual contrast: rust reds, vibrant oranges, and sharp whites collide against the void of absolute black. The work's light is not an optical illusion, but a real physical phenomenon created by the material accumulation and the palette knife's grooves.

Why is this piece an opportunity for your collection?

• Investment Argument and Tax Appraisal: The greatest commercial asset of this piece is its imposing financial backing. The work comes with its original certificate of authenticity (M.P.B. No. 0127) issued and signed by the author. This document incorporates an official valuation with a value determined by the SAT (Mexican Tax Administration Service) of 700,000 Mexican pesos, equivalent to approximately 35,210 euros. Having an institutionalized valuation by the Treasury for this high amount eliminates speculation and provides an unquestionable asset value.

• Exclusive Collection: This painting is part of a closed and rigorously selected batch of 18 works certified by the artist, currently available at El Taller del Coleccionista, allowing the buyer to articulate a coherent collecting line.

• Historical Pedigree: Acquiring this canvas is possessing a fragment of the living history of Spanish art, executed by an author present in international museums who forged his technique working side by side with Dalí, Miró, and Picasso.

• Visual Strength and Expansive Format: With horizontal dimensions of 75 x 105 cm, the piece exerts absolute visual dominance. Its aggressive chromatic contrast makes it an unmissable focal point in any architectural space.

Technical Details

• Artist: Manel Pujol Baladas (b. 1947).

• Title / Theme: Con un par de pimientos (Contemporary Expressionist Still Life).

• Technique and Support: Mixed media and material collage (printed paper) on canvas.

• Dimensions: 75 x 105 cm.

• Year: 1992.

• Signature: Signed and dated "M. Pujol Baladas 92" in the upper left corner.

• Provenance: Private collection (Part of a set of 18 exclusive certified works).

• Documentation: Original Certificate of Authenticity (M.P.B. No. 0127) signed by the artist, including a valuation from the SAT of Mexico for 700,000 MXN (approx. 35,210 EUR).

• Condition: Excellent overall condition. The dense pictorial impasto and underlying collage maintain firm adherence to the original support, evidencing the solidity of the work's material execution.

• Inspection Guarantee: 3 calendar days guaranteed return to inspect the work in person and verify its spectacular pictorial and documentary quality at El Taller del Coleccionista.

The Workshop's Note

Finding a contemporary painting that combines such a visceral palette with financial backing of this magnitude is an exceptional event in the market. The SAT's official valuation of this piece at over 35,000 euros certifies that we are dealing with a major asset. This work with its forceful black strokes and vibrant reds not only crystallizes the technical genius of a mature artist, but also offers unusual investment security. It is a seminal piece, with overwhelming aesthetics and masterful execution, indispensable for institutional or private collectors who demand endorsed profitability and aesthetic rigor.