Joaquín Rodríguez Miró’s ‘Three Nudes in the Woods (Nus)’: A Noucentisme Artwork
Artwork Data: Three Nudes in the Woods
Name: Three Nudes in the Woods (Nus)
Author: Joaquín Rodríguez Miró
Style: Noucentisme
Original Location: No
Current Location: MNAC (Unicatio)
Date: 1913–1915
Physical Attributes & Description
Medium: Oil
Size: 1.25 x 1.51 m
Support: Canvas
Figurative: Yes, the characters are recognizable.
Brief Description: A relaxing landscape composed of trees, gentle rolling terrain, bushes, and meadows, featuring three naked women enjoying an idyllic moment.
Formal Artistic Analysis
Line and Color Dynamics
Drawing predominates over color.
Light Treatment
A soft, diffused light illuminates the entire composition. It is not notable for its treatment, being tenuous and without strong contrasts.
Compositional Axes
Parallel lines are established between the arms of the figures and tree branches (e.g., the central tree trunk aligns with the arm of the woman on the right).
Key Compositional Lines
There isn’t a dominant compositional line. However, the absence of a horizon line means the women are framed by trees and bushes, creating an interior landscape rather than an open outdoor scene.
Perspective Employed
Descending perspective is used, bringing the planes closer to the viewer.
Anatomical Representation
The three women’s bodies are not strictly proportional. The artist is not seeking ideal beauty but rather exploring the plastic qualities of the female form.
Figurative Expression
The three women are inserted into this idealized forest in studied poses. However, their faces do not convey any particular emotion.
Temporal Aspect
The moment depicted feels brief, as if the figures might change position at any moment.
Color Palette
Predominant shades are green, ocher, and brown. These colors create a sensation of monochromatism, which in turn emphasizes the forms.
Brushwork and Line
The work features loose brushstrokes, yet line remains an important element in constructing the figures.
Focal Point
The pictorial center is the central woman.
Spatial Planes
Three distinct planes can be identified in this painting. The foreground features a tree (part of the pictorial center); the middle ground contains the three women; and the background depicts the rest of the landscape.
Depiction of Attire
The three women are nude, as indicated by the artwork’s title. They are interpreted as symbols of the Catalan woman and eternal Catalonia.
Sense of Movement
Movement is contained. There is no clear depiction of movement, but rather an implied intention for the figures to shift positions subtly and briefly.
Visual Rhythm
A marked rhythm exists between the colors: the green of the shrubs, the brown of the earth and trees, and the flesh tones of the three women.
Notable Details
A dog is present in the lower left. The artist included it to represent traditional pastoral landscapes, following established conventions.
Artistic Context and Connections
Author’s Other Works
Relations with other works by this author include:
- The Pastoral
Period/Style Comparisons
Relations with other works of the period or style include:
- The later works of Renoir. Joaquim Sunyer, another artist of the period, had a close relationship with Renoir, even calling him “master,” and was inspired by his compositions.
- Matisse.
Noucentisme Characteristics
The artwork exhibits characteristics such as:
- A pursuit of well-crafted work and formal perfection.
- A rejection of spontaneity and an appreciation for artificiality.
- The belief that art should be imaginative and break from literal representations of reality. Humor plays an important role, as does genre renewal with new techniques that de-emphasize plot or storyline.
- An evasion of the ordinary, the easy, and the monotonous.
Artistic Innovations
The artwork addresses intimate themes linked to the Catalan soil, expressing the author’s strong connection with Catalonia. Essentially, the artist created this piece to demonstrate his love for Catalonia.
Key Artistic Influences
Influences include:
- Cézanne (for the austere color range: shades of green, brown, and ocher).
- Renoir (with somewhat cool yet classical harmonies and soft volumes).
Iconographic Interpretation
Genre Classification
The genre is a group portrait (of three women) and nude.
Iconographic Elements
The scene does not have a specific complex narrative meaning beyond depicting three naked women enjoying a day in the woods (bosc).
Iconological Significance
The union of women and landscape, both viewed as expressions of nature, is presented with a tone that is simultaneously innocent and artificial. Artists like Sunyer developed an idealized Mediterranean primitivism featuring opulent figures, a trend which this work’s admiration for the physical qualities of the female body aligns with.
Purpose and Historical Value
Primary Purpose
The work became an emblem of Noucentisme.
Contemporary Significance
Critics sought to see in this work a symbol akin to those in key pieces by prominent Noucentista figures like Sunyer, representing the Catalan woman and eternal Catalonia. Thanks to an extensive and enthusiastic study by Joan Maragall, the painting was recognized as a genuinely Catalan work.