55 - 19th-century Catalan school.

19th-century Catalan school. “Landscape.” Oil on canvas. Measurements: 26 x 73.5 cm. 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. This canvas depicts a distinctly horizontal landscape, rendered with depth through successive planes that, nevertheless, appear perfectly interwoven through soft diagonals and subtle zigzags that lend a moderate dynamism to the composition without detracting from the calm and silent atmosphere that emanates from the combination of a horizontal structure with a long, narrow format. This poetic atmosphere is also sustained by the light of the early hours of the day—an intense light, though veiled by mist—which casts sporadic glimmers, breaking the uniformity of the silvery and pearlescent tones of dawn.