Manel Pujol Baladas | "Our Daily Fish" | Mixed Media and Collage on Canvas (1993) | Collection of 18 Certified Works

A monumental oil and collage that encapsulates the technical and conceptual maturity of Catalan artist Manel Pujol Baladas. A visceral work, dominated by a cold and dramatic palette, where the classic representation of marine still life undergoes an aggressive material deconstruction. Through an absolute mastery of texture and palette knife, the canvas captures the force of contemporary informalism, integrating the physicality of newsprint directly into the composition.

History and Curatorial Analysis

The weight of the Spanish School and the legacy of the geniuses

The trajectory of Manel Pujol Baladas (Vic, 1947) constitutes a fundamental link between the historical Spanish avant-gardes 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 peaks of 20th-century Spanish art: Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dalí. Pujol Baladas was not a mere spectator of these masters; he assimilated from them supreme technique and audacity in facing the pictorial support.

His bond with Salvador Dalí was especially intense and formative. Pujol Baladas's technical skill reached such a level of virtuosity that he actively collaborated in the pictorial execution within the Empordà master's own workshop, perfectly mimicking his glazes and precise drawing. 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 detracting from his merit, evidenced his unique ability to replicate another's genius. This stage of assimilation was the previous and necessary step before consciously breaking with academic figuration to forge his own identity in material informalism.

Structure, texture, and the sacralization of the everyday

In "El pez nuestro de cada día" (1993), Pujol Baladas subjects still life to a resounding conceptualization. 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 and local newspaper clippings (among which elements of Catalan culture subtly peek through, such as a fragment of the FC Barcelona crest in the upper left quadrant) emerge between the layers of paint, anchoring the work to a temporal reality and introducing the direct heritage of synthetic cubism.

On this complex topography, the author aggressively traces the figurative elements using thick outlines and violent impasto. The large central fish, the plate, the lemons, and the crystal glass are chiseled using a palette of industrial grays, dense whites, and absolute blacks. The title of the work, inscribed by the artist himself on the reverse of the canvas, is a clear and intelligent play on words with the Lord's Prayer ("our daily bread"), giving this everyday kitchen scene an almost sacred and existential gravity.

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. 0128) issued and signed by the artist. This document includes an official appraisal with a value determined by the SAT (Mexican Tax Administration Service) of 740,000 Mexican pesos, equivalent to approximately 37,220 euros. Having an institutionalized valuation by the Treasury for this high amount eliminates speculation and provides an unquestionable asset refuge value.

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

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

• Museum Format: With monumental dimensions of 100 x 81 cm (equivalent to the prestigious French 40 F format), the piece exerts absolute visual dominance, ideal for presiding over large architectural spaces with a strong presence.

Technical Data

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

• Title / Theme: El pez nuestro de cada día (Contemporary Expressionist Still Life).

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

• Dimensions: 100 x 81 cm (40 F format).

• Year: 1993.

• Signature and Inscriptions: Signed in the upper right corner of the obverse. On the reverse, an autograph inscription in charcoal: "el pez nuestro de cada dia", along with his signature and the date "93".

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

• Documentation: Original Certificate of Authenticity (M.P.B. No. 0128) signed by the artist, including a SAT Mexico appraisal of 740,000 MXN (approx. 37,220 EUR).

• Condition: Excellent general condition. The dense pictorial impasto and underlying collage maintain a firm adhesion to the original support, demonstrating the solidity of the work's material execution.

• Inspection Guarantee: 3 calendar days guaranteed for 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 a 100 x 81 cm format with financial backing of this magnitude is an exceptional event in the market. The fact that the SAT has officially valued this piece at over 37,000 euros certifies that we are dealing with a first-rate patrimonial asset. The technical audacity of the grays and blacks, combined with the conceptual depth of its handwritten title on the reverse, elevate this work above a mere aesthetic exercise, revealing an artist of unquestionable maturity who absorbed the methods of the great geniuses of the 20th century. It is a pivotal piece, with overwhelming aesthetics and masterful execution, indispensable for institutional or private collectors who demand guaranteed profitability and historical rigor.