Rear Window View, Valencia, Spain
"Rear Window View, Valencia, Spain"" Painting by Gary Smith

Rear Window View, Valencia, Spain

May 2021   •   Oil on Board   •   5" x 7"

This is a painting of the view from the rear window of our apartment in Valencia, Spain. In 2019 we stayed in the Russafa neighbourhood in an oversized apartment facing onto a small intersection populated with cafes, bars, and people coming and going by bike, scooter, foot and car all day and night. But I also liked this quieter view into the rear courtyard, which was especially nice early in the mornings when I was still jetlagged and waking at dawn.

This view shows a jumble of old rooflines, balconies and long-forgotten television aerials and satellite dishes. Because these sturdy brick and concrete buildings presumably predate modern electricity and plumbing, many of the wires and pipes that would be hidden inside the walls in a newer development are instead strapped to the outside.