Tomàs Moragas

TOMÀS MORAGAS Y TORRAS (Girona, 1837 – Barcelona, 1906).
"Woman Dressed as an Egyptian"
Watercolor on paper.
Unsigned.
Exhibited in “Tomàs Moragas: The Roman Adventure” at the Sala Parés.
The paper has small stains.
Measurements: 28.5 x 14 cm; 36 x 21.5 cm (with frame).

This work reflects Moragas’s interest in ordinary people and scenes of everyday life—subjects closely linked to his experience in Rome and the artistic milieu of the second half of the 19th century. Rather than a narrative scene, the work functions as an image of observation and fantasy, in which the painter combines naturalism, a sensitivity to color, and a taste for the picturesque.

Tomàs Moragas i Torras was a painter, watercolorist, and teacher, closely associated with the generation of Catalan artists marked by the influence of Marià Fortuny and their formative experience in Rome. His work is characterized by technical precision, a penchant for watercolor, genre scenes, portraiture, and themes inspired by Orientalism or folk art. Upon his return to Barcelona, he became actively involved in both teaching and artistic pursuits. His work is represented in institutions such as the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) and the Museo Nacional del Prado, among other public collections.