Chan Muñoz — The Eve of Epiphany, 1994 — Nocturnal painting on canvas

La nit de Reis (Twelfth Night) is a painting created by Chan Muñoz in January 1994, according to the handwritten inscription preserved on the reverse. The composition depicts a narrow street between buildings, shrouded in a nocturnal atmosphere of intense chromatic contrasts.

The scene is organized through a perspective that guides the gaze from the foreground, dominated by greens and blues, to a central area illuminated by yellowish tones. The facades that define the street are rendered with broad brushstrokes and slightly blurred outlines, while the darkness of the background accentuates the sense of depth.

The artist employs a particularly expressive palette, in which electric blues, cool greens, grays, and violets contrast with small surfaces of light. The architecture loses some of its definition to become a set of chromatic masses that convey the atmosphere of the place.

The title, La nit de Reis, introduces an evocative dimension to the composition. The absence of human figures and the silence of the street contrast with the traditionally festive character of Twelfth Night, giving rise to an intimate and contemplative interpretation of the urban landscape.

The work is part of a pictorial sensibility close to late 20th-century figurative expressionism, characterized by the freedom of the brushstroke and the predominance of atmospheric perception over detailed description.

Technical sheet

• Artist: Chan Muñoz.

• Title: La nit de Reis (Twelfth Night).

• Date: January 1994.

• Technique: Painting on canvas, probably oil.

• Dimensions: Pending.

• Style: Expressionist urban landscape.

• Signature: Signed in blue in the lower right corner.

• Reverse: Handwritten inscription with the title "La nit de Reis", a reference to a location possibly identifiable as Cubelles, the date "gener 94", and the artist's signature.

• Condition: Complete pictorial surface, with preserved brushstroke texture. Wooden stretcher and frame with small signs of use and surface scuffs.

• Frame: Metallic-finish wooden frame, included as a complement to the work.

Workshop Note

This painting stands out for its chromatic interpretation of a nocturnal urban scene. The depth of the blacks, the intensity of the blues, and the greenish reflections on the pavement give the composition a unique atmosphere.

The preservation of the title and date handwritten on the reverse is especially interesting, as it allows the work to be placed in January 1994 and the scene to be related to Twelfth Night.

An intimate painting, representative of an expressive figuration in which color and light take precedence over architectural detail.