Julio Peris Brell

JULIO PERIS BRELL (Valencia, 1866–1944).
“Farmer.”
Oil on panel.
Signed in the upper right corner.
Measurements: 24.5 x 16.5 cm, 45.5 x 37.5 cm (frame).

Julio Peris Brell was a painter who specialized in landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, with a style particularly sensitive to changes in light. He began his studies in Fine Arts in 1876, and in 1882 he was appointed secretary of the painters’ section of the Ateneu Científic, Literari i Artístic de Valencia. He completed his training two years later and decided to devote himself exclusively to painting, setting aside teaching. In 1886, he was named a full member of the Ateneu, and four years later he presented his first major work, “La fe del baptisme,” at the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Madrid. There he met the brothers Ricardo and Pío Baroja, with whom he would form a lasting friendship. Following the founding of the Cercle de Belles Arts de Valencia in 1894, he actively participated in its activities, particularly its group exhibitions. At the same time, he devoted himself to creating works that, in these final years of the 19th century, were aimed at the Catalan market. However, he also exhibited his paintings beyond Spain’s borders: in 1897, he participated in the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Mexico, and, back in Spain—though outside of Catalonia and the Valencian Community—he took part in exhibitions organized by the Academy of Fine Arts in Cádiz, as well as those of the Academy of Fine Arts in Murcia. At the same time, he continued to rise through the ranks of the Cercle de Belles Arts de Valencia and undertook projects such as the decoration of the staircase in José Ayora’s mansion. In 1911, he expanded his activities and began collaborating as an illustrator with the magazine *Letras y Figuras*. In 1912, he joined the newly formed Círculo de Bellas Artes, where he was appointed president of the painting section in 1914. His success and prestige grew, and in 1923 an entire room was dedicated to him at the “Manifestación del arte valenciano” exhibition held at the Palacio del Buen Retiro in Madrid. Two years later, he participated in a major group exhibition of Spanish art held in Buenos Aires. Furthermore, beginning in 1926, he exhibited regularly at the Emporium gallery in Valencia, and in 1928 he was named a member of the San Carlos Academy. His successes continued, and in 1943—a year before his death—the Prat Gallery dedicated a major retrospective exhibition to him. Peris Brell’s works are currently represented in the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia, as well as in other public and private collections.