Ramón Martí Alsina

RAMÓN MARTÍ ALSINA (Barcelona, 1826–1894).
“Seascapes.”
Oil on canvas (2).
Signed.
Measurements: 44 x 71 cm (x2).
Considered today as the most important figure of Spanish Realism, Martí Alsina was part of the European avant-garde of his time. He revolutionized the Spanish art scene of the 19th century, pioneered plein air painting, founded the modern Catalan school, and served as a mentor to an entire generation, with notable disciples such as Vayreda, Urgell, and Torrescassana. He began his studies in philosophy and literature, alternating them with evening classes at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona until 1848. After completing this initial training and deciding to pursue painting, he took his first steps in the Maresme region, where he began to earn a living by painting naturalist-style portraits and landscapes “en plein air.” From 1850 onward, his artistic career took hold; in 1852, he was appointed professor of line drawing at the Escuela de la Lonja in Barcelona, and two years later he began teaching figure drawing, a position he held until the accession of Amadeo of Savoy to the throne. In 1853, he traveled to Paris, where he visited the Louvre and became familiar with the work of Horace Vernet, Eugène Delacroix, and French Romanticism. Later, he would discover the work of Gustave Courbet, the leading exponent of Realism. In 1859, he was named a corresponding member of the Sant Jordi Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona. His first major exhibition was the 1851 General Exhibition of Fine Arts in Barcelona. From that point on, he exhibited regularly in Barcelona, Madrid, and Paris, and was invited to the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. Among his awards, the medals he won at the National Exhibitions in Madrid stand out: third place in 1858 for the work “The Last Day of Numancia” and second place in 1860 for his landscape. In his later years, he lived in seclusion, focusing his efforts on the search for new forms of expression, with a loose brushstroke reminiscent of Impressionism. His subjects include numerous landscapes and seascapes, cityscapes (especially of Barcelona), portraits and human figures, scenes of daily life, expressive female nudes, history paintings, and biblical scenes. He rarely painted still lifes, though he did produce a few. Works by Martí Alsina are preserved at the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the MACBA, the Montserrat Abbey Museum, and the Empordà Museum in Figueras.