77 - Spanish School, late 19th–early 20th century.

Spanish School, late 19th–early 20th century. "Port." Oil on canvas. Signed, partially illegibly, in the lower right corner. Restored. Measurements: 40.5 × 75 cm; 56 × 91 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 coexistence of large steamships and traditional vessels makes this seascape a particularly representative depiction of the transformation of European ports around the turn of the century. The composition is organized around the ship at the center, whose presence is balanced by the boats distributed on either side and by the barely suggested activity of the harbor in the distance. The painter employs a light, cool color palette, dominated by blues and greenish grays, which unifies the sky and water and envelops the scene in a slightly misty atmosphere. In contrast to the more precise rendering of the ships, the reflections and peripheral areas are rendered with freer brushstrokes, accentuating the sense of depth and movement. The combination of steam and sail, together with the luminous treatment of the scene, places the work within the tradition of turn-of-the-century marine and Post-Impressionist painting.