Coasts of Guetaria

Salís was leading turn-of-the-century Gipuzkoan landscape artist. His comfortable financial circumstances meant that he was not bound to the dictates of the market, giving him the freedom to experiment with a great variety of artistic languages ranging from realism to impressionism. As well as painting many landscapes in the hinterland, Salís was also noted for his seascapes. The movement of the sea, its constant changes and human interaction with the milieu, were all recurring motifs in his work. In many of his paintings, the sea is stripped of any picturesque connotations. However, some do have a romantic element, as reflected in his predilection for shipwrecks, storms and views of the sea bathed in moonlight or the last rays of the setting sun

Given its format and execution, Coasts of Guetaria is clearly intended for public exhibition. The workmanship is impeccable; Salís combines diluted oils applied with long brush strokes in the mass of water, with short strokes of thickly-applied paint for the surf. The diagonals of the composition accentuate the sense of dynamism in the breaking waves.

Mikel Lertxundi Galiana

Inventory number: STM-000341-001