Emili Sivillà

EMILI SIVILLÀ TORRES (Barcelona, 1845-1894).
"North African scene".
Oil on panel.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 21 x 28 cm; 37 x 44 cm (frame).

Emili Sivillà Torres began his artistic training in 1861, studying painting and drawing at the School of La Llotja in Barcelona. He participated in the Barcelona Exhibition of 1866, where one of his studies was acquired by the Academy of Fine Arts for the Provincial Museum. He also participated in the 1870 edition. During these years he still worked on a wide range of subjects, including the painting of ships. In 1875 the documentary sources indicate that he sold all his belongings to move to Morocco, where he was able to know the life of the exotic Orient at first hand. In Tangier he painted not only inland landscapes and seascapes, but also portrayed daily life, local types and customs. He always maintained ties with his native city, as evidenced by his participation in the Universal Exposition of this city in 1888. Four years earlier he had also taken part in the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Barcelona, and in 1887 he took part in the Exhibition held in the San Sebastian building in the same city. The recognition of his work did not end with his death, but culminated with the exhibition of several of his works in the great exhibition of paintings by the great Catalan masters held in 1931 at the Galerías Layetanas in Barcelona. Given the commercial success of his work in his time, most of it is preserved today in private collections, although his work can also be seen in museums such as the Maritime Museum of Barcelona.