RAFAEL DURANCAMPS I FOLGUERA (Sabadell, 1891 - Barcelona, 1979)."Maritime promenade". Oil on

RAFAEL DURANCAMPS I FOLGUERA (Sabadell, 1891 - Barcelona, 1979).
"Maritime promenade".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Size: 33 x 55 cm; 53 x 75 cm (frame).
The painter reflects, with a loose and spontaneous technique, which in a certain way is close to impressionist patterns, although in a subtle way, a view of a promenade captured from its very centre. The afternoon shadow cast by the houses on the promenade stands out in this everyday view, as does the sky covered with grey clouds that gradually dissipate in the distance, in keeping with the vivid blue of the sea in the background. Passers-by are arranged along the entire length of the promenade. We can see mothers with children and pets, a group of young people gathered under the roof of a stall, probably in search of sweets or refreshments, solitary strollers...
Rafael Duran i Camps, better known as Durancamps, was a pupil of Vila Cinca at the Industrial School of Arts and Crafts in Sabadell. He later met Joaquín Mir, with whom he established a close relationship, and whose style influenced the colourful language of Durancamps's first period. He exhibited for the first time in 1917 at the Galerías Layetanas in Barcelona, and his success encouraged him to continue painting despite his family's opposition. He spent several periods in Madrid, where he studied the masters of the Prado Museum, and then travelled to Italy. He returned to Barcelona and took part in various competitions, winning important prizes such as the Masriera medal in 1920, as well as holding several exhibitions at the Sala Parés. In 1921 he travelled to Paris for the first time. His work at this time is close to Impressionism, but also shows the influences of Zurbarán, El Greco and Venetian colourism, combining the precision of the drawing with the gravity of the colour. In 1926 he returned to France and settled in Passy, where he lived until 1939. During these years he met Picasso, who encouraged him to hold exhibitions at the Zak gallery, where he enjoyed considerable success, which increased with his successive exhibitions. He returned to Spain and settled in San Sebastián, but continued to work closely with the Sala Parés, where he continued to hold exhibitions until his death. He also held various exhibitions in Madrid, Sabadell, Bilbao, Valencia, London and Philadelphia. Although his first period was influenced by Mir, Durancamps soon evolved towards a more personal conception, giving special prominence to the constructive line and a peculiar colouring of sober beauty. His still lifes, which he treated with a profusion of line and transparency, are a prodigy of serenity and elegance, with such a personal stamp that they escape any contemporary classification. His landscapes and genre scenes, especially the "capeas" in various Spanish villages, are highly emotive. The "skies of foreboding" that express the drama of the fiesta evoke his acute lyrical sense. He is represented in the Museums of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastián and Buenos Aires, as well as in a large number of Spanish and foreign collections.