Cristobal Pizà Ensenyat

CRISTOBAL PIZÀ ENSENYAT (Soller, Mallorca 1850 - 1936).
"Bullfight", 1890.
Oil on panel.
Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 44,5 x 32,5 cm, 52 x 41 cm (frame).

Cristobal Pizà Ensenyat was born in 1850 in Sóller, Mallorca, in a working family that soon recognized his passion and talent for painting. From a very young age he dedicated himself to art, and his first studies were at the School of Fine Arts in Palma de Mallorca, where he began to train in drawing and painting techniques. His ability earned him provincial scholarships that allowed him to continue his training in Rome, at the Académie des Beaux-Arts, where he absorbed the European artistic currents of the time, enriching his style and sensitivity.

During his career, Pizà developed a painting that combined romantic delicacy with impressionist touches, characterized by a luminous palette and a great attention to light and landscape. He made numerous trips to France, including stays in Paris and Nîmes, before returning to Mallorca, where he consolidated his work and his reputation as one of the island's most outstanding painters.

His talent led him to participate in events of national importance, such as the Universal Exposition of Barcelona in 1888, and to exhibit regularly at the Salon de Palma and the National Exhibitions of Fine Arts in Madrid at the end of the 19th century. Critics and the public valued his work for his sensitivity and his ability to portray both landscapes and genre scenes with great naturalness and charm.

Cristòfol Pizà Ensenyat died in 1936, leaving a pictorial legacy that reflects the essence of Mallorca and the transition from romantic painting to impressionist influences in Spain. His work continues to be admired for its artistic quality, its delicacy and its contribution to Mallorcan art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.