Ricard Martí Aguiló

RICARD MARTÍ AGUILÓ (Barcelona, 1857–1935).
Set of four compositions, Cadaqués, ca. 1908–1909.
Oil on panel.
In good overall condition considering its age.
Measurements: 9 × 14 cm each; 15 × 20 cm (frames).

These five small seascapes are of particular interest due to their direct connection to Ricard Martí Aguiló’s stays on the Catalan coast and his practice of painting from life. The small format, the rapid execution, and the notations of place and date allow us to interpret them as oil sketches, intended to immediately capture the changes in light, color, and atmosphere along the coast.

The collection offers different approaches to the seascape: rocky coastlines rendered with dense brushstrokes alternate with views of calm waters, architecture, and small boats rendered in lighter, more luminous tones. The free and synthetic style takes on special significance here, revealing the painterly process and lending each panel the spontaneous character of a study made on the spot.

Martí Aguiló’s presence in Cadaqués is documented as early as 1905 through a sketchbook and an oil painting titled *Riba del Poal* (Cadaqués); there are also six known drawings of Cadaqués and Portlligat dated between 1908 and 1918, a time frame that directly coincides with these small panels.

Ricard Martí Aguiló, son and disciple of Ramon Martí Alsina, developed a realist body of work focused on landscape, seascape, portraiture, and still life. 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. His connection to Cadaqués also had a documentary aspect, as he practiced amateur photography there and left behind numerous sketches of the town and its surroundings.