16 - RICARD MARTÍ I AGUILÓ (Barcelona, 1857 – Barcelona, 1935).

RICARD MARTÍ I AGUILÓ (Barcelona, 1857 – Barcelona, 1935). Commemorative medal from the Barcelona City Council, 1892. Dedicated to the painter Ricard Martí i Aguiló on the occasion of the National Exhibition of Artistic Industries and International Exhibition of Reproductions. Made of bronze, featuring an allegorical composition and the coat of arms of Barcelona. It is preserved in its original case, labeled “Son of B. Castells. Escudillers, 17. Barcelona.” It has a slight patina consistent with its age. Measurements: 6.5 cm in diameter. Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. The National Exhibition of Artistic Industries and International Exhibition of Reproductions was organized by the Barcelona City Council and held at the Palace of Fine Arts between October 1892 and January 1893. The event brought together artistic and industrial works and was part of the city’s intensive exhibition program in the years following the 1888 World’s Fair. Ricard Martí i Aguiló was the son and disciple of Ramon Martí i Alsina, one of the leading figures of Catalan realism, and developed a realist style of painting. He participated in the 1891 General Exhibition of Fine Arts in Barcelona, where he presented the oil painting *Spring* and two flower paintings. That same year, he painted the portrait of Narcís Monturiol for the Gallery of Illustrious Catalans in Barcelona, a testament to his integration into the city’s artistic and institutional circles in the late 19th century.