Bidspirit auction | Young man with a jug

Young man with a jug before a crowned magician. Signed Ricardo Llorens Cifré. Valencian School. 20th century. - Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 81 x 57 cm. In an interior of indeterminate character and dreamlike atmosphere, a scene charged with symbolism unfolds. In this portrait, a young woman in profile, with pale skin and carefully arranged reddish hair, solemnly holds a tray on which rests a ceramic vase with a pearly surface. Behind her, the figure of a male figure emerges, dressed in a greenish tunic, a golden crown with irregular points, and a scepter topped with a sphere, attributes that identify him as a figure of power. His inclined gesture and the gaze he projects toward the young woman suggest a relationship of surveillance or authority, generating a latent tension between the figures. The background, constructed with planes of broken color and fragmented geometries, contributes to the psychological and slightly theatrical atmosphere of the composition. The painting is expressive, with vibrant, impasto brushstrokes that enrich the surface textures. The treatment of volume, light, and color demonstrates a modern sensibility within a symbolic figuration, which connects with the expressionist tendencies of the 20th-century Valencian School. The work, designed by Ricardo Llorens Cifré, is part of a pictorial tradition that favors introspection and narrative, standing out for its visual impact and poetic suggestiveness.