187 - ALFRED OPISSO CARDONA (Barcelona, 1907 – Mataró, 1980).

ALFRED OPISSO CARDONA (Barcelona, 1907 – Mataró, 1980). "Painter at the Easel." Pencil and charcoal on paper. Signed in the lower right corner. The paper has a small tear at the bottom. Measurements: 30 × 23.5 cm; 46 × 39 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 refinement of the line and the ability to define the figure with remarkable economy of means place this work among Alfred Opisso’s most recognized strengths: drawing. The artist depicts a painter deeply concentrated at his easel, rendering anatomy, clothing, and posture with a clean, confident line. The chalk applied to the tan paper introduces points of light and accentuates the contrast between the figure and the background, while preserving the immediacy of the sketch. The composition reflects the mastery of drawing that distinguished Opisso, who was particularly appreciated for his portraits and figure studies. His figurative style, characterized by restrained and elegant execution, maintained ties to the Catalan Modernist tradition, though it was developed from a personal sensibility and distanced itself from the caricature that characterized his father’s work. Alfred Opisso Cardona, son of the draftsman Ricard Opisso, trained at the Escola de Llotja and began exhibiting in Barcelona in 1921 with the support of the critic Joan Merli. In 1944, he won a National Drawing Prize at the Barcelona Biennial, and in 1959 he received the Ynglada-Guillot Drawing Prize. He also participated in the National Fine Arts Exhibitions and directed the Museu de Mataró from 1958 to 1966. His work is part of the collection of the Museu de l’Empordà, among others.