Joaquin Mir Trinxet, The Rock in the Pond

Joaquin Mir Trinxet, The Rock in the Pond, c1903

40.2 x 50.4 in.

Joaquin Mir Trinxet (1873-1940) was a Catalan Spanish painter, particularly known for the intense color of his landscapes.  Born in Barcelona to a high class Catalan family, Trinxet studied at the Escola d'Arts i Oficis de Barcelona.  In 1899 he traveled to Majorca with his friend Santiago Rusinol, which had a profound influence on the young Trinxet.  In Majorca, and just after returning, he painted fascinating landscapes where the distinction between form and color is blurred.  He had his first exhibition in Barcelona in 1901, and received positive reviews but the public found his work difficult to understand.  Eventually Trinxet moved on to more realistic landscapes, influenced by Impressionism.  however these works still contain the same complex interplay of form and color, where each informs the other so thoroughly that it is difficult to separate them.  The Rock in the Pond is one of Trinxet's earlier pieces, and clearly exhibits the hallmarks of that style.  The green cast of the painting informs every element, and is powerful enough to feel like a narrative element.  The rock itself, and the rocky outcroppings in the background, appear almost alive and ready to move.  The reflection of the water adds to the unsettling nature of the painting; Trinxet created a picture space where forms bleed into each other and the universe repeats.