174 - JOSÉ MARÍA VIDAL-QUADRAS VILLAVECCHIA (Barcelona, 1891–1977).

JOSÉ MARÍA VIDAL-QUADRAS VILLAVECCHIA (Barcelona, 1891–1977). "Portrait of a Woman," 1936. Charcoal and pastel on paper. Signed and dated in the lower right corner. The paper shows slight discoloration consistent with its age. Measurements: 38 × 25 cm; 46 × 32.5 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. Specializing in portraiture, Vidal-Quadras also achieved notable recognition for his charcoal drawings lightly colored with pastel, the technique used in this work. The figure is rendered through a concise and elegant drawing, with the focus on the face and posture, while touches of blue and red introduce subtle chromatic accents. The cast shadow reinforces the volume and adds depth to a composition executed spontaneously yet carefully controlled. José María Vidal-Quadras trained at the Llotja in Barcelona and completed his studies in Geneva and Munich, in addition to working in Félix Mestres’s studio. He held solo exhibitions at the Salón Parés beginning in 1919 and later at venues such as La Pinacoteca and the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid. In 1943, he was named a full member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Jorge. The MNAC holds works by him such as *Interior* (1921) and *La prova* (c. 1929).