103 - Romanesque capital; France, 11th–12th centuries.

Romanesque capital; France, 11th–12th centuries. Carved stone. Measurements: 39.5 x 30 x 30 cm. 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. A French Romanesque capital dating from the 11th to 12th centuries, made entirely of stone and carved. It features a circular base, a truncated pyramid-shaped body, an open crenellated top, and an upper section shaped like a molded cornice. The body, profusely carved, is organized into two levels. The lower level features a crown composed of four acanthus leaves derived from classical models, carved in relief using a simplified, geometric style typical of the Middle Ages. Above this leaf wreath is a background carved with scallop shells in relief, at the corners of which stand four fantastical animals with wide-open mouths, clawed paws, and fur-covered bodies—hybrid figures of a symbolic nature typical of the medieval bestiary.