Andre Durenceau

Invitation

1950s

Fantastical surreal landscape with a floating castle in an idyllic, dream-like setting with bright blue sky and green grass by Melissa Barkley (Ameri...

Title: Battle of Constantine Artist: Antoni Pitxot i Soler (1934–2015) Technique: Oil on board Dimensions (unframed): 9 x 12.6 in Dimensions (framed): 17.3 x 20.9 in Signature: Signed in the lower right corner Period: Second half of the 20th century Provenance: Galeria d’Art Àmbit, Barcelona Description Battle of Constantine is a symbolic and fragmented composition that showcases the dreamlike world so characteristic of Antoni Pitxot. Through an array of rock-like, anthropomorphic forms, the artist constructs a mythical and dramatic landscape that suggests an epic confrontation. The vivid pink sky and tactile textures reinforce the visual tension, evoking ruins, bodies, and reliefs that seem to emerge directly from the earth. In this piece, Pitxot applies his meticulous technique and unmistakable visual language, where ambiguity is a tool for the viewer's imagination. The boundary between figure and landscape blurs, creating a poetic vision that feels both ancient and surreal. About the Artist Antoni Pitxot i Soler (1934–2015) was a prominent Catalan painter born in Figueres, Girona, into a family with a long artistic tradition. He spent much of his life in Cadaqués, where he developed a highly personal style centered on compositions of stone-like forms that resemble human and animal figures, blending nature with mythology and memory. Pitxot was a close friend and collaborator of Salvador Dalí. Their artistic connection led to Pitxot playing a key role in the creation of the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, where he later served as the museum's lifelong director. After Dalí’s death...