José María Martínez Lozano

JOSE MARIA MARTÍNEZ LOZANO (Barcelona, 1923–Llançà, Girona, 2006).
“Puerto,” 1998.
Oil on panel.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 21 x 26 cm; 42 x 47 cm (frame).

A painter and watercolorist, Martínez Lozano trained in Barcelona at the Clot and La Lonja schools. He held his first solo exhibition in Figueras, at Can Fortunet, in 1946. In 1951, he received a scholarship from the Girona Provincial Council to complete his studies in Venice, where he expanded his color palette. That same year, he exhibited in Barcelona at the Sala Gaspar with a selection of his Venetian works. Also in 1951, he made his debut in Madrid and subsequently established studios in Montblanc, Tarragona, and Llançà. In the latter town, he founded the School of Arts and Crafts. In 1963, he won the City of Tarrasa Prize at the Painting Biennial. Beginning in 1965, he held exhibitions of his work in France, Italy, England, and Belgium. In 1975, he received the National Watercolor Prize, and in 1989, he spearheaded the creation of the Watercolor Museum–J. Martínez Lozano Foundation in Llançà, which currently houses most of his work. Specializing in landscapes and seascapes, he served as president of the Barcelona Watercolorists’ Association from 1994 to 1998.