Joaquim Sunyer’s Three Nudes in the Forest: A Noucentisme Masterpiece
Datasheet
Title of Painting:
Three Nudes in the Forest
Author:
Joaquim Sunyer
Date:
1913-1915
Dimensions:
1.25 x 1.51 m
Technique:
Oil
Support:
Canvas
Genre:
Figurative
Condition:
Good
Style:
Noucentisme
Location (Current and Original):
Museum of Modern Art (Barcelona)
Topic
In a typical Mediterranean landscape, three nude women are depicted in an idyllic moment.
Formal Analysis
- Line: Fine, rounded black lines clearly contour all figures.
- Color: The artist employs an austere palette, primarily green and brown tones, conveying a sense of near-monochromatism. Warm colors, typical of the landscape, are present. Ochers and browns form the base, while greens, blues, and grays are more accessory. The artist uses a small, sometimes undetectable brush.
- Light: Natural daylight, uniform and dispersed. No specific focus or contrasts are identifiable.
- Composition: A certain symmetrical approach is observed due to the studied positions of the women. It is open.
- Lines of Work: The three oblique lines of the trees frame the scene. An oblique line formed by the arm of the woman on the right and another half of the tree visually separates the two women on the right from the one on the left.
- Perspective: Slightly elevated view, so the sky is not visible. The perspective is unrealistic, with planes rising to fill the entire canvas. This may remind us of Braque’s Landscape at L’Estaque. In the foreground, three female figures are accompanied by a dog, and in the background, a landscape.
- Rhythm: Calm.
Interpretation
Context
This painting was created in 1913, on the brink of the First World War (1914-1918). This impending disaster had been foreshadowed since the end of the 19th century. It was about to force the Commonwealth of Catalonia, which was very important, and this changed the way they managed the economy.
Significance: Iconography and Interpretation
In a Mediterranean landscape, three nude women are accompanied by a dog. These women symbolize Catalonia in three versions. The one on the viewer’s right is looking down and has a provocative position; of the three, she is the most provocative. The woman in the middle is looking at the viewer, but unlike a picnic, she does not show an aggressive or provocative look. Finally, the woman on the viewer’s left shows timidity, her hands covering her intimate parts. The theme of this painting is related to Cézanne’s The Bathers, an iconography widely used by 19th-century artists. The theme serves as an excuse to depict nude women.
Function of the Work
In this work, Sunyer praised simple, idyllic scenes, granting this painting the status of a genuinely Catalan work. This painting became an emblem of Catalan Noucentisme.
Style
Noucentisme was a cultural movement developed by Eugeni d’Ors that attempted to represent modernity and the new culture in Catalonia (1910-1920). This movement encompassed many aspects, including art, politics, and literature. Its goal was to organize a modern Catalonia, resuming the Renaissance. This movement is post-modernism and seeks to overcome everything that has similar ideas. It has a very nationalistic feeling and seeks Catalan racial purity, as it celebrates Mediterranean culture.
Joaquim Sunyer initially started with a post-impressionist style but decided to pursue a more pictorial Mediterranean line. Mediterraneanism reached its peak with the painting Landscape with Three Nudes. From this time, his painting underwent a transformation that intensified the ritualism of the figures and the decorative accent of classical composition. With nudes, portraits, and compositions with figures, he moved away from the 20th century.
Models and Influences
The subject matter was influenced by Cézanne and Renoir, thanks to the works Sunyer observed during his stay in Paris. He also received some influence from Matisse. The bulky shape of the women was influenced by the Catalan sculptor Aristide Maillol. Sunyer brought certain aspects of Cubism to Catalonia.
Other Works by the Author:
Pastoral, 1910. It was the most emblematic work of Catalan Noucentisme. This painting is a precedent to Three Nudes in the Forest.