Street Scene

Small village in Spain or Mexico

This 25.5 x 29.5 inch oil on canvas has no known artist but does have an unintelligible signature in the bottom right corner. The work depicts a street scene with people, buildings, and what appears to be a market. The figures are surrounding the vendor that appears to be selling goods in the town square; there are about 14 discernible figures within the foreground around the vendor. Tall buildings with orange roofs and open windows surround the figures and the market, sort of framing the scene that is depicted before us. There is a light blue sky with some faint white clouds that fill the negative space around the buildings and the town square, adding to the light and peaceful atmosphere of the scene itself. The crates and materials from the vendor take up the whole bottom right corner, aiding in creating a bustling atmosphere within a certain community but also representing a thriving and affluent small business. There is a slight hint of foliage within the work, a tree is just barely seen in the top right corner and there is some green surrounding the crates in the bottom right. The overall style of the work fits impressionist principals in which the artist utilizes thick and messy brush strokes. This aids in representing the fleeting nature of time and movement, especially in the case of a bustling town square.