20th-Century School

20th-Century School.
“Marina.”
Oil on cardboard.
Signed (Bertoni) in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 15.8 x 28.2 cm; 25.5 x 38 cm (frame).

Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló.
Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935).

Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance.
The work depicts a coastal landscape, with the sea as the focal point and a composition based on the horizontal lines created by the waves, softened by the diagonal line of the hill on the right and the presence of the sailboat. The noticeable brushstrokes and the absence of underdrawing reveal a clear influence from certain avant-garde painting movements that emerged in France in the late 19th century, particularly Impressionism. This connection is also evident in the shadows and the chosen color palette.