Artist: Jordi Freixas Cortés (1917-1984) Spain
Title: The Port of La Selva (Spain)
Era: around 1950
Dimensions: 65cm x 46cm
Technique: oil on canvas
Signature in the bottom left
On the back: title, stamp, various annotations by the artist
Style: Post-Impressionist
This painting, titled “El Port de la Selva” by Jordi Freixas Cortés, is a beautiful post-impressionist work depicting a coastal landscape. The scene takes place in a small harbor, where several boats are moored on the shore and in the water. The colors are soft and harmonious, with shades of blue, green, and beige blending together to create a peaceful atmosphere.
In the foreground, two boats are resting on the sand, one white with touches of green, the other in similar tones. Further away, other vessels float serenely on the calm water, reflecting the colors of the sky and the surrounding hills.
The background is dominated by lush green hills, painted with quick and expressive strokes typical of the post-impressionist style. These strokes add texture and movement to the canvas, capturing the natural light and the serene atmosphere of the place.
The post-impressionist style of Freixas Cortés is manifested by the use of visible brush strokes and vibrant colors, which brings the scene to life while maintaining a sense of tranquility and simplicity. The composition is well-balanced, guiding the viewer’s gaze through the different elements of the scene, while evoking a feeling of nostalgia and connection to nature.
Biography of Jordi Freixas Cortés
Jordi Freixas Cortés, born on April 21, 1917, in Barcelona and passed away on February 2, 1984, in Tiana, is recognized as one of the major artists of Catalan painting in the post-war period. Part of what the art critic Rafael Santos Torroella referred to as the “lost generation,” Freixas represents an era marked by the devastating consequences of the Spanish Civil War and World War II, which had a decisive impact on his contemporaries, including José María Mallol Suazo, Juan Palet, and Luis Pallarès.
Trained at the School of the Lonja in Barcelona, then under the tutelage of Francesc Labarta, Freixas also distinguished himself as an eminent pedagogue, guiding and inspiring many groups of emerging artists. The critique of his early work praises the “lyricism of his gray chords”, already revealing the artistic sensitivity that would characterize his journey.
His stay in Paris, where he had the opportunity to admire the works of painters such as Sisley and Seurat, marked a decisive turning point in his career. This immersion in the artistic effervescence of the French capital allowed Freixas to refine his style and gradually establish himself as a great painter.
Starting in 1958, Freixas’s work evolved towards a combination of figurative and abstract optics, provoking contrasting reactions among critics. For some, this new approach enriches his art in the line of Bonnard, Dufy, and Lurçat, creating an “environmental sensation of pure plastic poetry.” Others, on the other hand, lament a distancing from his original style that celebrated light and color.
In his last period, Jordi Freixas returns to a quest closer to impressionism, focused on “the atmospheric charges of the landscape,” while integrating influences from informal language. This approach reflects his constant need to explore and express the beauty of the nuances of the world around him.
The artistic legacy of Jordi Freixas Cortés remains true to the emotions he was able to convey through his painting, leaving his mark on an era rich in movements and reflections in the Catalan artistic landscape.