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

RAMÓN MARTÍ ALSINA (Barcelona, 1826–1894). "Study of Trees." Charcoal and clarion on gray paper. Dated “21 [...] 83” and inscribed “opposite the Figaro” in the lower right corner. Bears an apocryphal signature by Ricardo Martí Aguiló. The paper shows minor signs of aging consistent with its age. Measurements: 48 × 30.5 cm; 59.5 × 41 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. Dated 1883, this study reflects the practice of drawing directly from life, in which the observation of the trunk and foliage takes precedence over the construction of a complete landscape scene. The charcoal carefully defines the irregularities of the bark and the structure of the branches, while the white chalk highlights the midtones of the paper and reinforces the volume of the trunks. The execution alternates between areas of meticulous detail and others that are barely sketched, especially in the foliage, thus preserving the immediacy of a sketch made in front of the subject.