79 - English School, late 19th century.

English School, late 19th century. Seaside scene. Oil on paper. Measurements: 13 x 26 cm; 24 x 38 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. A boat moored in the foreground and an imposing building atop a mountain define an enigmatic landscape, which is emphasized by the nuanced light that bathes the entire scene. The sky, whose tones range from cerulean gray to sienna hues, opens up in the center, revealing a golden hue that falls most strongly on the foreground, thus leaving the rest of the elements in a carefully studied half-light. The small figures in the lower right corner enhance the artist’s pursuit of monumentality, resulting in a work that is both bucolic and poetic, capable of stirring the deepest emotions in the viewer.