Laureano Barrau Buñol
1863-1957 | Spanish

Le Rameur
(The Rower)

Oil on canvas

Laureano Barrau Buñol’s Le Rameur captures the everyday serenity of a fisherman on the Mediterranean sea, drawing from the Old Masters and Impressionists alike to immerse the viewer in an exquisitely composed scene.

Extraordinarily immersive in its composition, Buñol places the viewer in the boat with the rower, a handsome dark-haired young man donning a hat. The shining sun forces the rower to squint, looking toward the viewer as he calmly moves the vessel into the watery horizon. Buñol has carefully planned this fleeting moment, utilizing the converging diagonals of the oars and sail structure to lead all focus to the rower’s pensive eyes. Buñol’s bright palette explores the nuances in the light filtering through the sail, reflected in the soft blues, pinks and purples Buñol incorporates into the rower’s clothing. Soothing and almost hypnotic, the painting encourages the viewer to rest a moment, smelling the salty air and feeling the warm breeze across the water.

In the late 19th century, the artist Laureano Barrau Buñol left his hometown Barcelona to train as a history painter in the most prestigious studios across Europe. While studying the techniques of Old Masters in Madrid, Rome and Paris, Buñol notably apprenticed with famed academician Jean-Léon Gérôme at the École des Beaux-Arts. In deference to his acumen for painting, Buñol was awarded the title of Societaire of the Salon de la Nationales des Beaux-Arts de Paris when he was only 28 years old. Upon completing this formal training, however, Buñol felt that the strictures of history painting needed a modern revitalization. The artist desired to incorporate more luminosity in his paintings inspired by the prominent contemporary movements of Realism and Impressionism. With this intention, Buñol proved highly skillful, imbuing his scenes with such emotion and ephemerality that the viewer forgets the piece’s incredibly precise composition.

While living in the rural fishing towns of Caldes d’Estrac and Tossa de Mar in Catalonia, the landscape and inhabitants of these quaint Mediterranean ports inspired Buñol to create a new body of work. Thus, from the turn of the century to the end of his life, the artist predominantly painted scenes of daily life on the coast. Le Rameur stands as a particularly intimate scene of Spanish seaside life, a cozy moment aboard a boat adrift in the blue-green expanse of the sea.

Laureano Barrau Buñol’s paintings reside in many museums today, including the Museo del Prado in Madrid and his own museum in Santa Eulalia, opened by his wife after his death in 1957.

Early 20th century

Canvas: 38“ high x 51” wide
Frame: 47“ high x 60” wide