44 - FRANCESC TORRESCASSANA SALLARÉS (Barcelona, 1845–1918).

FRANCESC TORRESCASSANA SALLARÉS (Barcelona, 1845–1918). “Landscape.” Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower right corner. Measurements: 90 x 123 cm; 107 x 138 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. Francesc Torrescassana studied at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona, where he was a student of Ramón Martí Alsina. In 1864, he was awarded an honorable mention at the National Exhibition in Madrid. After receiving a scholarship to study in Rome, he traveled to Paris, where he became acquainted with the major artistic movements of the time. Upon his return to Barcelona, he devoted himself to painting history scenes and genre paintings. In 1869, he attended the opening of the Suez Canal, where he produced several documentary-style paintings. Initially, his work reflected a profound influence from his teacher, within the framework of bourgeois realism. However, he gradually distanced himself from Martí Alsina’s style, developing a softer, more delicate palette. During the last twenty years of his life, he devoted himself to landscape painting, characterized by exceptional luminosity and transparency and built upon textures, revealing parallels with Impressionism. During these years, he also painted portraits, a genre in which his portrait of Miquel Vilaregut (1911) stands out in particular. It was during this period that his artistic personality and creative vitality were firmly established. In 1934, a solo exhibition of his work was held at the Syra Galleries in Barcelona. His works are held in the MACBA in Barcelona, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid, the Museum of the Abbey of Montserrat, and the Louvre in Paris, as well as at Antonio Gaudí’s Casa Vicens in Barcelona.