Romanesque capital; 13th century.

Romanesque capital; 13th century.
Stone.
Measurements: 29 x 39 x 29 cm.

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.
A Romanesque carved stone capital with a narrative character, decorated with elongated human figures arranged in a dynamic composition of intertwined bodies. The stylization of the figures and the adaptation of their forms to the architectural space reflect the expressive techniques of medieval sculpture, in which the schematic treatment of anatomy and the interrelation of the figures contribute to the compositional unity.
The piece is part of the tradition of Romanesque architectural sculpture, whose figurative repertoire combines ornamental function with potential narrative and symbolic content. From a stylistic perspective, it shares affinities with capitals associated with the former monastery of Santa María de Santa Cruz de la Serós—a complex linked to Aragonese Romanesque sculpture—and with pieces preserved in or linked to museum collections such as the Museu de Maricel in Sitges.