29 - DIONÍS BAIXERAS (Barcelona, 1862 – Barcelona, 1943)

DIONÍS BAIXERAS (Barcelona, 1862 – Barcelona, 1943) Beach Oil on canvas mounted on panel Signed and dated in the lower right corner (D. Baixeras V./ 1, November, 1891) Measurements: 29.50 x 44.30 cm; 46.5 x 61 cm (with 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. Dionís Baixeras i Verdaguer was one of the founders of the San Lucas Artistic Circle of Barcelona. He opposed Modernism, advocating for a naturalistic and balanced art form inspired by and rooted in Christianity. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona and was a student of Agustí Rigalt. He was interested in the Olot school of landscape painting and in French Realism, particularly the work of Jean-François Millet. His paintings often depict anecdotal and charming subjects. He portrays the lives of workers in the fields and at sea, always with a slightly idealized tone, which secured him a comfortable economic and social standing. This landscape of a peaceful beach, where human presence is minimal and the serene coastal atmosphere takes center stage, is a good example of the type of work that appealed to the public of the time. He participated in numerous official exhibitions and won, for example, the third medal at the 1884 Madrid Exhibition and an Honorable Mention at the 1886 Paris Exhibition. He also participated in the 1888 Barcelona World’s Fair. He received important official commissions as well: for example, some of the paintings decorating the Paraninfo at the University of Barcelona are his. Some of his works are preserved at the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, in the Historical Archive of the City of Barcelona (an interesting collection of drawings), and in other Spanish and foreign museums.