237 - Column from the early 20th century.

Column from the early 20th century. Onyx and gilded bronze. Measurements: 107 x 29 x 29 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. Ornamental column from the early 20th century, crafted from onyx in delicate shades of cream, ivory, and amber, whose rich natural veining lends the piece a unique decorative beauty. With a slender structure, it features a cylindrical shaft resting on a solid, stepped square base and culminating in a molded-edge top shelf, designed to hold sculptures, vases, or other artistic objects. Particularly noteworthy are the gilded bronze appliqués that adorn the capital and the base of the shaft, decorated with relief plant motifs, stylized flowers, and classically inspired borders. The combination of onyx—prized for its translucency and evocative chromatic nuances—with the warm reflections of gilded bronze evokes the refinement of the decorative arts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when noble materials and historicist references took center stage in bourgeois interiors.