Ricard Martí Aguiló

RICARD MARTÍ AGUILÓ (Barcelona, 1857–1935).
“Landscape with a Figure.”
Oil on canvas.
Signed “Martí (Ricardo)” in the lower right corner.
Relined.
In good condition for its age.
Measurements: 97 × 57 cm; 101.5 × 62.5 cm (frame).

Due to its scale, descriptive richness, and treatment of light, this work is a particularly comprehensive example of Ricard Martí Aguiló’s landscape style. The composition is dominated by a group of palm trees that organize the space vertically and draw the eye toward the architecture in the background, while the child and the birds by the water introduce a subtle narrative element.

The artist combines meticulous observation of the vegetation with a freer execution of the terrain and reflections, alternating between impasto and light brushstrokes. The palette of greens, ochres, and earth tones, illuminated by small accents of color, reinforces the Mediterranean character of the scene. The work thus reflects the landscape realism inherited from his father and teacher, Ramon Martí Alsina, though rendered with a more serene and descriptive sensibility.

Ricard Martí Aguiló was the son and disciple of Ramon Martí Alsina and developed a realist body of work that encompassed landscapes, seascapes, portraits, and still lifes of flowers. The similarity in subjects and the coincidence of their initials historically led to confusion between the works of the two painters. In 1891, he participated in the General Exhibition of Fine Arts in Barcelona, and that same year he painted the Portrait of Narcís Monturiol, which is currently part of the Gallery of Illustrious Catalans at the Barcelona History Museum. The Museu del Càntir in Argentona also houses his *Landscape of Argentona*.