The Bell for Prayer (El toc d\'oració) by artist Modest Urgell is located at the Museu Nacional d\'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) in Barcelona, Spain.
Modest Urgell, also known as Modest Urgell i Inglada (1839-1919), was not only a renowned painter but also a famous playwright from Catalonia (Spain). His painting, 'The Bell for Prayer' (El toc d'oració or Toque de oración), painted in 1876, is a master illustration of the Spanish Neo-Romanticism and the Realist landscape painter. As a painter, he was profoundly into solitude, melancholy, and quiet transition, which renders the expressionism of his art perfectly.
The Bell for Prayer indicates a small stone hermitage or village church that stands on top of a small, rocky slope. It is surrounded by tall, vertical cypress trees, with quite serene scenery, set against a wide expanse of grass and other greenery. The scene is further enhanced by a lone stone cross in front of the structure, complementing the steps that ascend to the sacred ground. Besides that, a single stone cross can be seen in front of the structure, along with some steps leading up to the sacred site, emphasizing the spiritual nature of the location.
Furthermore, the large expanse of sky at dusk is predominant on the canvas. A pale pink and orange hue colorizes the bottom part of the horizon, gradually transitioning to a soft gray and blue. Apart from that, the sky is filled with a few clouds, forming a resigned and melancholic scene of its landscape.
Besides that, the painting's title, 'The Bell for Prayer, is in reference to the 'evening Angelus,' which is a Catholic call to prayer traditionally rung at dusk. The pendulum is not moving in any way, but the quiet of the surroundings creates a strong sound effect for viewers.
Additionally, Urgell's color palette is tranquil and earth-toned. The foreground is in a deep shadow, featuring dark brown and olive green hues in contrast to the bright, glowing sky. In this low-angled view, the elements of architecture and nature are pushed upward, making them silhouetted subjects in a large ritual of nature and the faith of the day.
The work itself is an embodiment of those changes from idealized, academic settings to an emotional, internalized understanding of nature. In 1876, he won the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid. Urgell does not try to represent an accurate topographic reality; instead, he uses the physical landscape to portray a profound interior attitude of contemplation and bittersweet nostalgic thought.
the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid. Urgell does not try to represent an accurate topographic reality; instead, he uses the physical landscape to portray a profound interior attitude of contemplation and bittersweet nostalgic thought.
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By: ARYAN JOSHUA SINGH
“The Bell for Prayer” strikes me as a painting that is much more about atmosphere and emotion than about simply depicting a church or a landscape. At first glance, the scene appears quiet and almost ordinary: an old church stands on a rocky rise, surrounded by trees, with a bell tower reaching into the evening sky. Yet the longer I look at it, the more peaceful and contemplative the scene becomes.
What I find most beautiful is the way the artist uses light. The sky is filled with soft pink, golden, grey, and pale blue tones, suggesting the late afternoon or early evening. The warm light seems to settle gently over the landscape rather than illuminate it dramatically. This creates a feeling of stillness, as though the entire countryside has paused for a moment. The distant hills and open fields on the left further strengthen this sense of spaciousness.
The church itself is the emotional centre of the painting. Its aged stone walls and weathered bell tower give it a sense of history. It does not look grand or imposing; instead, it feels humble and deeply connected to the surrounding landscape. The cross in the foreground is particularly significant. Positioned along the small pathway leading toward the church, it seems to invite the viewer inward. I like this detail because the path, cross, steps, and church together create a visual journey that can also be understood as a spiritual one.
The tall, narrow trees beside the church add verticality to an otherwise horizontal composition. They draw the eye upward toward the bell tower and sky. In contrast, the dark foreground vegetation creates depth and makes the illuminated sky appear even more expansive.
There is also something slightly melancholic about the painting. The church appears old and somewhat isolated, and the fading light suggests the passing of time. Rather than feeling gloomy, however, this melancholy gives the work emotional depth. It makes me think about memory, mortality, faith, and the continuity of traditions across generations.
Overall, I find the painting deeply calming and reflective. It does not demand attention through dramatic action or vivid colours. Instead, it quietly rewards prolonged looking. The combination of aged architecture, natural surroundings, soft evening light, and religious symbolism creates a feeling of solitude and timelessness. For me, its greatest strength is precisely this restraint: it captures a moment of silence so convincingly that I can almost imagine hearing the distant bell calling people to prayer.
