Baldomer Galofre

BALDOMER GALOFRE I XIMENIS (Reus, 1846–Barcelona, 1902).
"Donkey," 1887.
Ink and wash on paper.
Signed and dated.
Exhibited in “Tomàs Moragas. L’aventura italiana” at the Sala Parés.
Measurements: 15.5 x 12 cm; 28.5 x 23.5 cm (frame).

A work on paper in which Baldomer Galofre depicts a donkey seen from behind, laden with a blanket or harness, richly rendered through agile and meticulous drawing. The choice of viewpoint—unconventional and highly immediate—gives the image a direct quality, almost as if drawn from life, and allows the artist to focus on the animal’s anatomy, the tension in its legs, and the drape of the fabric on its sides. The treatment of the blanket—with fringes, patterns, and small ornamental spots—reveals his taste for picturesque detail, though this is always subordinate to a lively and spontaneous execution.

The work reflects Galofre’s interest in folk figures, pack animals, country roads, and scenes of the Mediterranean landscape—subjects linked to his experience in Italy and the artistic horizons opened up by Fortuny.

Baldomer Galofre i Ximenis was a painter and illustrator who trained in Barcelona under the influence of Ramon Martí Alsina and later became closely associated with the artistic circle of Marià Fortuny. As a scholarship recipient in Rome, he resided in Italy for a long time, where he developed a body of work marked by a taste for watercolor, drawing, landscape, and folk themes. His work is represented in institutions such as the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), the Museo Nacional del Prado, and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de Argentina, among other public collections.