La nena de la clavellina (The Girl with the Carnation)

"From the very outset, Sitges’ light illuminated Rusiñol’s eye just as it had done years earlier with Arcadi Mas i Fondevila, Joan Roig i Soler and the other painters in the Luminist School. For this reason, one of the Sitges-inspired themes that attracted Rusiñol the most were the blue courtyards. Even though perhaps the best-known is in the Museum of Montserrat, three other examples can be found in Cau Ferrat: El pati blau de Sitges (The Blue Courtyard of Sitges) in the Fountain Room, Noia de blanc (Girl in White) by Ramon Casas in the same room where we are right now, and this painting. The figure is the essential part of the work, while the courtyard is a whole that envelopes her, which helps to heighten the beauty of the girl, who does not seem to be aware of the painter’s presence. The colours in the work are bright and luminous, and the girl is raptly inhaling the scent of a pink. This is one of the most beautiful portraits that Rusiñol ever painted throughout his lifetime, and even though it was displayed in shows three times, the author decided to keep it for his private collection. (Museu del Cau Ferrat, Sitges, 30806)"