FRANCISCO HERNÁNDEZ MONJÓ (Mahón, Menorca, 1862... Lot 31

FRANCISCO HERNÁNDEZ MONJÓ (Mahón, Menorca, 1862 - Barcelona, 1937). "Naval scene". Oil on canvas. It has slight restorations. Signed in the lower left area. Measurements: 81 x 121 cm. Outstanding sailor, specialised in the painting of ships, Hernández Monjó was the main renovator of the marine genre in the Balearic Islands at the end of the 19th century. Born into a family of silversmiths, from an early age he devoted himself to drawing the ports and ships of Mahón. At the age of twenty-three he was already teaching art in Mahón, where he had numerous disciples. In 1890 he settled in Barcelona, where he completed his training at the School of Fine Arts with Eliseo Meifrén. That same year he took part in the National Exhibition in Madrid. He also took part in the General Exhibitions of Barcelona in 1894 and 1920, and in 1936 in the I Saló d'Independents. He also held exhibitions in South America, where his work was very well received. In 1898, the Tasso house in Barcelona commissioned a collection of watercolours of warships for the book "La Armada Española". He exhibited in Mahón, Madrid, Barcelona and South America, and was always well received by the public and critics. In his first stage, his work can be framed within the realist painting of the second half of the 19th century. Drawing predominates over colour, the brushstroke is flat and not very impastoed, and the colour range is soft and uniform, with a predominance of blues, greens and whites. They are often works with a low horizon, with the sky occupying most of the painting. In 1890, with his change of residence, a new stage in his painting began, characterised by the influence of the Catalan landscape painters, especially Meifrén. Hernández Monjó introduced new elements such as the diagonal composition, where the choppy sea, the boats with their sails extended and the contrasting sky are the main motifs. His brushstrokes became denser, firmer and shorter, and warmer tones such as pinks and reds were introduced into his palette. The last stage of his work, from 1920 onwards, is characterised by a luminous exaltation of Impressionist roots and a more impastoed brushstroke, with vivid tones, resulting in compositions of enormous strength. The subject matter broadened to include views of the Catalan coast and its surroundings. Hernández Monjó is mainly represented in private collections, although he also has works in the Museum of Menorca, the Ateneo de Mahón, the Nautical School of Barcelona and the Museu de les Drassanes in Barcelona.