The Triumph of Day over Night Preceded by Dawn

Executed in oil, the painting employs the vivid, expressive palette characteristic of post‑impressionism, allowing colour to convey emotion as much as form. Broad, fluid brushstrokes render the floating figures, while the luminous, iridescent cloud demonstrates Caba’s skill in layering translucent glazes to achieve a sense of atmospheric depth and kinetic energy.

Created in the late nineteenth century, the canvas entered the collection of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, where it remains on public display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s commitment to representing Spanish artists who engaged with modernist currents beyond the academic tradition of portraiture for which Caba is chiefly remembered.

Although Caba is primarily noted for realistic portraiture, this composition reveals his engagement with allegorical and symbolic themes popular among post‑impressionist circles. The painting’s mythic subject aligns with contemporary interests in merging classical motifs with modern colour theory, situating the work within a broader European trend toward expressive, narrative-driven canvases.