Ramón Martí Alsina

RAMÓN MARTÍ ALSINA (Barcelona, 1826 - 1894).
"Female portrait".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Measures: 78.5 x 63 cm; 108 x 92.5 cm (frame).
A young woman gazes lost towards the horizon, while in her hand she holds a lace handkerchief, embroidered with a badge, and a small booklet. The lady's high social status is determined by the cabochon on her chest, as well as the long, pearly earrings that adorn her ears. The fabrics of her clothes, perfectly worked by Marti Alsina, show the artist's search for a careful representation, attentive to details and their qualities. The concentrated face of the young woman has been masterfully worked, emphasising her innocent, pure gaze, which is contrasted with her carmine-coloured lips. The background of the composition stands out, in which a glass window allows us to intuit a landscape background, as well as the interior of a cobbled room.

Considered today as the most important figure of Spanish realism, Martí Alsina was part of the European avant-garde of the time. He revolutionised the Spanish artistic scene of the 19th century, was a pioneer in the study of life and the creator of the modern Catalan school, as well as the master of a whole generation, with disciples of the importance of Vayreda, Urgell and Torrescassana. He began his studies in philosophy, alternating them with evening classes at the Escola de Belles Arts de la Lonja in Barcelona. He took his first steps as a painter in the Maresme region, where he was already going out to paint from life. In 1848 he travelled to Paris, where he visited the Louvre and became familiar with the work of Horace Vernet and Eugène Delacroix. Later he became acquainted with the work of Gustave Courbet, the greatest exponent of realism. From 1850 onwards his artistic career became more established, and four years later he obtained the chair of drawing at the Ecole de la Lonja. His first important exhibition was the General Exhibition of Fine Arts in Barcelona in 1851. From then on he exhibited regularly in Barcelona, Madrid and Paris, and was invited to the Universal Exhibition in the French capital in 1889. Among his prizes were the medals he won at the National Exhibitions in Madrid, third in 1858 and second in 1860. In his last years he lived in seclusion, focusing his efforts on the search for new forms of expression, with an undone brushstroke close to Impressionism.
His subjects included numerous landscapes and seascapes, urban views (especially of Barcelona), portraits and human figures, genre scenes, temperamental female nudes, history painting and biblical scenes. He rarely devoted himself to still lifes, although he also painted some still lifes. In this portrait of a young woman covered with a simple shawl, he comes close to genre scenes as well as portraits. Works by Martí Alsina are housed in the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, the Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña, the Abbey of Montserrat, the Museo de Arte Moderno de Barcelona and the Museo de l'Empordà in Figueras.