Ricard Opisso

RICARD OPISSO I SALA (Tarragona, 1880 – Barcelona, 1966).
"Interior of Els quatre gats," 1899.
Pencil on paper.
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 25 x 31 cm; 42 x 50 cm (frame).

This work is an exceptional historical and artistic document. A drawing by Ricardo Opisso dated 1899 and depicting the interior of Els Quatre Gats is not only a work of art but also a firsthand account of the golden age of Catalan Modernism. “Els Quatre Gats” (opened in 1897) was at its peak as the epicenter of Barcelona’s cultural avant-garde. That year, a young Pablo Picasso was exhibiting there, and figures such as Ramón Casas and Santiago Rusiñol were regulars. Opisso, who was only 19 at the time, was the youngest of the group and served as the visual chronicler of those gatherings.
Opisso was a painter, draftsman, and cartoonist. In his youth, he was part of Barcelona’s Modernist scene, and in fact, in 1894, he began working as an apprentice with Antoni Gaudí on the construction of the Sagrada Familia. Two years later, with the architect’s endorsement, he joined the Sant Lluc Artistic Circle, with which he would henceforth exhibit at the Parés Gallery. He was associated with the group Els Quatre Gats, along with Ramón Casas, Manuel Hugué, Isidre Nonell, and Pablo Picasso, among others. In 1901, he traveled to Paris, where Picasso and Hugué were already living. He worked as an illustrator for publications such as “¡Cu-cut!” and “L’Esquella de la Torratxa,” creating drawings focused on political satire in a style reminiscent of Art Nouveau. In 1907, he participated in the Barcelona Fine Arts Exhibition and received a third-class medal. Due to Miguel Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship, Opisso abandoned political satire, and his drawings shifted toward costumbrista themes, specializing in scenes of everyday life. His works from this period are characterized by depictions of colorful crowds in popular Barcelona settings. After exhibiting several times in succession at the Sala Parés, he held his first solo exhibition in 1935 at the Syra Galleries in Barcelona. During the postwar period, he continued to exhibit at various galleries in Barcelona, garnering significant success from both critics and the public. In 1953, he received recognition from his hometown at the 4th Tarragona Art Fair. During his early years, in addition to using his last name, Opisso also used to sign with an “O” for Opisso that contained the “R” of his first name within it. Most of his work is housed at the Opisso Museum in Barcelona, but it is also featured at the National Art Museum of Catalonia and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Strasbourg. Notable among his exhibitions was the one held at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in 2004, titled “Catalan Painting: From Naturalism to Noucentisme,” which featured his work “Carnival.” In addition, retrospective exhibitions have been dedicated to him at the Saló del Tinell (1979), the Palau de la Virreina (1980), the Barcelona International Boat Show (1973), the La Caixa Foundation (1988, 2004, 2008), and Caixa Tarragona (2003).