Santiago Rusiñol

SANTIAGO RUSIÑOL I PRATS (Barcelona, 1861 - Aranjuez, Madrid, 1931).
"Draughtsman", 1906.
Charcoal on paper.
Signed and dated in the lower corners.
Measurements: 22.5 x 24 cm; 43 x 48 cm (frame).

Santiago Rusiñol was a central figure and one of the main ideologists of Catalan Modernism, standing out as a painter, writer and playwright. After training with Tomás Moragas and co-founding the Center of Watercolorists, he made his debut in 1884 at the Sala Parés in Barcelona with his friends Ramón Casas and Enric Clarasó. A turning point in 1888 marked the beginning of his career as a writer in La Vanguardia and his first individual. In 1889 he settled in Paris, where he evolved his style towards naturalism with impressionist influences after studying with Henri Gervex, Puvis de Chavannes and Carrière. In 1890, he began to paint the courtyards and gardens of Sitges, a theme that would define his later work. That same year he co-founded the Cau Ferrat in Sitges (the germ of today's museum) and exhibited in Paris at the Salon des Indépendants and the gallery of Samuel Bing, promoter of Art Nouveau. Rusiñol reaped continued success, including the medal of the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1908, and his work is represented in major collections such as the Prado Museum and the MNAC.de Spain, totally away from clichés and full of truth. Since then his activity multiplies as a painter, novelist and comedian, he premieres outstanding plays in Madrid and Barcelona and holds annual painting exhibitions in the Sala Parés, always with Casas and Clarasó. In 1908 he received the medal of the National Exhibition of Fine Arts. He is represented in the Prado Museum, the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, the Camón Aznar Museum of Zaragoza and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, among others.