Josep Maria Vilà Cañellas

JOSEP MARIA VILÀ CAÑELLAS (Vic, Osona, 1914–Barcelona, 2001).
"Village Street," 1968.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 65 x 81 cm; 90 x 106 cm (frame).

Painter and draftsman, trained at the Olot School of Fine Arts, a student of Juan Colom, Ivo Pascual, and Emilio Bosch Roger. He held solo exhibitions in Barcelona very frequently beginning in 1941 and won an award at the 1948 National Exhibition in Madrid (Mercado de Vic). He cultivated an Impressionist style often centered on water effects, characterized by skillful and simplified brushwork. He received several awards. He began participating in group exhibitions in 1932, holding his first solo shows at the Barcino Gallery in Barcelona and at the Gaspar Gallery (1941–1942). His awards include the Third Medal at the 1948 National Fine Arts Exhibition (Mercado de Vic), the Prize for the “Paisaje de Llavaneras” Competition in 1950, the Masriera Gold Medal in 1953, and others.