97 - DÍONIS BAIXERAS VERDAGUER (Barcelona, 1862–1943).

DÍONIS BAIXERAS VERDAGUER (Barcelona, 1862–1943). “Barca.” Pencil on paper. Signed in the lower right corner. Measurements: 12 x 19 cm; 25.5 x 32 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. Trained in both Barcelona and Paris, Dionís Baixeras created major works on historical themes, such as those in the auditorium of the University of Barcelona, and later devoted himself primarily to naturalism. In 1908, he produced a collection of drawings—of great documentary value—depicting sites in old Barcelona that were to be demolished to make way for the construction of the Vía Layetana. His works are held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Art and Industry in Roubaix (France), and the MACBA, among others.