Beach of Portici 

Mariano Fortuny Marsal created this luminous vista of the Beach of Portici, using oil on panel. At first glance, you’re met with an airy expanse of sky and sea, meticulously crafted with dynamic brushstrokes and vibrant light. This piece captures a fleeting moment of leisure with its panoramic composition. Fortuny’s interest in surface texture is evident in his lively brushwork that articulates the foliage in the foreground and the broken architectural elements in the middle ground. This technique destabilizes traditional perspective, pulling the viewer into a space where foreground and background merge. The high horizon line also flattens the space, emphasizing the painting’s surface, inviting us to consider the painting as an object. The figures are rendered with loose, gestural strokes, dissolving the boundaries between representation and abstraction. Fortuny’s approach reflects a broader interest in disrupting conventional modes of seeing, engaging viewers in a dialogue about the nature of perception itself. Here, form and content are inseparable, turning a simple beach scene into an exploration of visual language.