35 - Catalan School, 19th century.

Catalan School, 19th century. Portrait of a Girl. Oil on canvas. Signed “R. Martí y Alsina” in the lower left corner. Measurements: 66 x 51 cm; 76 x 62 cm (frame). 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 artist depicts a young woman, shown from the waist up, seated, as indicated by her posture. The girl wears a tight-fitting mauve bodice and a full blue skirt. These vivid colors are hallmarks of the design, along with the puffed sleeves and the white scarf covering her deep neckline. Her dark hair is adorned with wildflowers and a blue scarf. The woman is positioned with her body practically parallel to the picture plane, facing the viewer, though she turns her head to her right, averting her gaze from us. Her face has a serene, somewhat pensive expression. The figure is intensely illuminated by a light source outside the composition, standing out against a dark, neutral background devoid of any landscape, architectural, or environmental elements. The artist, a remarkable draftsman, thus focuses entirely on the figure.