93 - English School, late 19th century.

English School, late 19th century. “Landscape.” Watercolor on paper. Signed: S. Ruddock in the lower left corner. Measurements: 42 x 38 cm; 27 x 23 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 English countryside takes center stage in this sweeping panorama. The painter places us before a landscape crisscrossed by hills covered in grass and lush trees. A few clumps of bushes dot the landscape, and scattered among them are some sheep. The artist draws on the long tradition of English painting, offering a realistic depiction that nonetheless slightly idealizes nature to present its most charming side.