Untitled 

This untitled painting was made by Montserrat Gudiol. We can only speculate at the materials used, but likely oil on canvas or board. The surface quality is the thing to notice here; it’s quite rough and textured, and Gudiol has chosen to leave that roughness visible, rather than smoothing it out. This is a decision with significant implications. Leaving visible brushwork reminds us of the hand that made this, that it emerged through labor. There’s a deliberate choice, to emphasize process over pure representation. The texture also gives the painting an aged quality, almost as if it's a fresco. Whether intentional or not, this alludes to the frescoes in the churches of Catalonia, where Gudiol lived and worked. This painting, with its combination of careful observation and emphasis on the physical qualities of paint, asks us to consider how materials, making, and context are inseparable from the artwork’s meaning.