Ricard Martí Aguiló

RICARD MARTÍ AGUILÓ (Barcelona, 1857–1935).
"Coastal Landscape." 1891
Oil on panel.
Signed “Martí” and dated in the lower right corner.
In good overall condition. Shows some dirt stains in the sky.
Measurements: 24 × 40 cm; 32 × 48.5 cm (frame).

Dated 1891, the year Ricard Martí Aguiló participated in the General Exhibition of Fine Arts in Barcelona, this seascape belongs to a particularly significant period in his career and demonstrates his connection to the realist renewal of Catalan landscape painting. The loose, impasto brushwork takes center stage in the terrain and vegetation, while the sky and water are rendered using a lighter, more atmospheric palette. The luminosity of the coastline and the direct treatment of the subject matter reveal the influence of the landscape painting of his father and teacher, Ramon Martí Alsina, though with a more restrained and intimate sensibility. The view toward the sea and the presence of small boats visually expand a composition that, despite its small format, possesses remarkable spatial richness.

Ricard Martí Aguiló was the son and disciple of Ramon Martí Alsina and also trained at the Escola de Llotja in Barcelona. He focused particularly on landscape, seascape, portraiture, and still life, maintaining a close connection to his father’s realism. 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 part of the Gallery of Illustrious Catalans at the Barcelona History Museum. His work has continued to feature in exhibitions exploring Catalan landscape painting, such as *Cadaqués, univers d’artistes*, held at the Museu de Cadaqués in 2018.