188 - RAMÓN MARTÍ ALSINA (Barcelona, 1826–1894).

RAMÓN MARTÍ ALSINA (Barcelona, 1826–1894). “Portrait of a Woman.” Charcoal and clarion on paper. Bears the estate seal and the signature of Ricard Martí Aguiló, the artist’s son. Measurements: 29.5 x 37 cm; 62 x 52 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. Ramon Martí Alsina stood out as a remarkable draftsman, an essential aspect for understanding his entire body of artistic work. For him, drawing was a fundamental tool for observing and studying reality, closely linked to his realist approach. He consistently practiced sketching from life, studying figures, faces, landscapes, and everyday scenes with a confident, spontaneous, and expressive line. His drawings demonstrate his ability to synthesize forms and quickly capture gestures, postures, and the effects of light, while revealing a solid understanding of anatomy and volumetric construction. This intensive drawing practice served as the foundation for his paintings—whether portraits, figurative compositions, or his celebrated landscapes—and contributed decisively to the renewal of Catalan art education and artistic practice in the 19th century.