Ramón Martí Alsina

RAMÓN MARTÍ ALSINA (Barcelona, 1826–1894).
Study for “The Great Day of Girona,” ca. 1863.
Oil on canvas.
Signed.
Measurements: 54 x 83 cm; 64 x 93 cm (frame).

Preparatory sketch for the final work “The Great Day of Girona,” created by Ramon Martí Alsina in 1863. The final painting, considered one of the most monumental works of 19th-century Catalan painting, depicts one of the most dramatic episodes of the 1809 Siege of Girona. It is currently part of the collection of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) and is on loan at the headquarters of the Generalitat de Catalunya in Girona, located in the former church of the Hospital de Santa Caterina.

“The Great Day of Girona” is a canvas of exceptional dimensions (4.96 x 10.82 meters) that Martí Alsina began working on around 1863 and to which he devoted much of his life. The artist succeeded in transforming the historical painting into a deeply realistic depiction, free from any theatricality. To achieve this, he conducted meticulous research into the historical events related to the Spanish War of Independence, focusing the scene on the heroic defense of the city of Girona against the assault by Napoleonic troops on September 19, 1809. Before arriving at the final composition, he produced numerous preparatory studies and sketches.

One of the main motivations that drove Martí Alsina to undertake this work was his desire to participate successfully in the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Madrid. The project was part of his strategy to establish himself as an independent painter and cease his financial dependence on teaching, with the aim of ensuring his family’s stability. Throughout his life, the pursuit of financial independence was a constant for the artist, who undertook various ambitious projects in the hope of achieving recognition and financial security. However, “The Great Day of Girona” would also end up becoming a constant source of difficulties and concerns.

With this work, Martí Alsina aspired to create a true masterpiece capable of fully demonstrating his artistic abilities. The enormous technical and compositional challenge posed by a painting of this scale was meant to serve as a statement of personal prestige before critics, colleagues, and potential buyers, definitively cementing his position among the most prominent figures in Catalan and Spanish art of the time.

Until then, the largest easel painting in Catalan art had been “The Battle of Tetouan” (1862–1864) by Marià Fortuny, a work that had initially been offered to Martí Alsina but which he rejected. Everything suggests that the painter sought to surpass that benchmark in both size and artistic quality. While Fortuny’s work measured 300 × 972 cm, Martí Alsina took his ambitions even further by creating a canvas measuring 496 × 1082 cm, which is still considered today the largest easel painting in the history of Catalan painting. The chronological overlap between the two works also suggests a possible desire to compete with Fortuny—who was twelve years his junior—and to demonstrate his artistic superiority in every respect.

The choice of subject was no accident either. One of the most intriguing questions is why Martí Alsina chose a historical episode linked to Girona, a city with which he had no direct personal or family ties. The artist himself likely pondered this question before fully committing to a project of such magnitude. The heroism associated with Girona’s resistance during the war and the epic nature of the episode undoubtedly provided the ideal setting for a grand history painting.

A Look at the Work: In 1929, “The Great Day of Girona” was exhibited at the Palau de les Belles Arts in Barcelona, a building constructed for the 1888 World’s Fair and later demolished in 1943. After the Spanish Civil War, the painting remained in storage, rolled up, for decades and was never again exhibited publicly. The work currently belongs to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. Thanks to a loan agreement between the MNAC and the Generalitat de Catalunya, it can now be viewed in the former church of the Hospital de Santa Caterina, the current home of the Auditori Josep Irla in Girona. Before its permanent installation, the canvas underwent a major restoration process carried out in 2010 by the Center for the Conservation and Restoration of Movable Cultural Heritage of the Government of Catalonia. September 19, 1809: Excerpt from the book (to be adapted).