Exhibitions
A journey through four centuries of still life in Valls
Seventy works from the Joan Artur Roura collection show four centuries of Catalan and Spanish painting, from classical realism to the contemporary avant-garde.
The Museu de Valls hosts a unique selection from the collection of Joan Artur Roura i Comas with the exhibition From Matter to Eternity. Still Lifes from the Collection . The exhibition, which brings together seventy works dating from the 17th to the 21st centuries, offers a fascinating journey through the history and evolution of still life and can be visited until May 3.
Of the more than one hundred and fifty pieces of still life that form part of its collection, around seventy have been selected for this exhibition, the work of sixty-five artists. The majority are linked to Catalan painting, although there is also a selection of Spanish artists, and the set covers four centuries of art history.
Joan Artur Roura (Barcelona, 1944) is an eclectic collector who acquires works guided by passion and personal interest, with which he has gradually formed a collection of hundreds of pieces ranging from objects from the 12th century to creations by emerging artists.
Among the most renowned names that can be seen in the exhibition are Juan Gris and Joaquim Torres García, as well as Joaquim Mir, Olga Sacharoff, Durancamps, Manolo Hugué, Humbert, Ràfols Casamada and Clavé. The representation of local painting is also outstanding, with works by Jaume Mercadé from Vallenueva, Francesc Gimeno and Francesc Todó from Tortosa, and Magda Folch from Reus.
Catalan still lifes stand out for their combination of realism and Mediterranean sensibility. They often depict fruits, vegetables, fish and everyday objects, with clear light and vivid colors that reflect the local landscape. From the meticulous detail of the 17th century to the freer, more abstract compositions of the 20th century, artists such as Joaquim Mir, Ràfols Casamada and Olga Sacharoff have transformed a seemingly static genre into a space of poetry and visual experience.
