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More than a hundred drawings by Ramon Martí Alsina enter the Girona Art Museum
The donation from the artist's heirs includes a set of more than 100 works on paper that allows us to delve deeper into the creative process of one of the great figures of 19th-century Catalan realism.
The graphic legacy of Ramon Martí Alsina (Barcelona, 1826-1894) expands the collections of the Museu d'Art de Girona with the arrival of more than a hundred small-format drawings and notes from the family collection. The donation, formalized on October 14, 2026, was promoted by Ricard Martí Rovira and Judit Cunillera Martí, heirs of the artist, and represents a new contribution to the knowledge and preservation of Catalan artistic heritage.
Considered one of the fundamental figures of 19th-century Catalan realism, Martí Alsina developed a painting of a direct and naturalistic nature, attentive to the representation of everyday life as well as urban and natural landscapes. His production also addressed epic themes, as exemplified by El gran dia de Girona , one of his most emblematic works. At the same time, his teaching activity at the Escola de la Llotja in Barcelona exerted a decisive influence on the renewal of Catalan painting.
The set incorporated into the Museu d'Art de Girona offers a particularly interesting approach to the artist's practice, as it brings together drawings, sketches and annotations that document different moments of his working process. Executed mainly in pencil and ink, the pieces are completed with charcoal works and studies of figures, portraits and landscapes. Beyond their artistic value, these materials allow us to observe the way in which Martí Alsina explored forms, scenes and details before transferring them to his pictorial compositions.
The artist's connection with the Girona region is another of the relevant aspects of this donation. Martí Alsina maintained relations with this territory, where his nephew, also a painter, Jaume Pons Martí, resided in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. He was also related to Cadaqués, a town where he stayed to accompany and train Narcís Monturiol in the art of painting.
Among the materials received, several views of Girona stand out, some dated 1855. One of these pieces is signed by his nephew Jaume Pons Martí, a detail that adds an additional element of interest to the set. The rest of the drawings are organized in five folders that bring together landscape studies, portraits, figures and graphic annotations. Some of the landscapes explicitly identify the places where they were made, with references to Cerdanyola, Granollers, Montmeló, Mollet del Vallès and Barcelona.
The donation comprises a total of 103 drawings and notes, distributed in five folders: 34 pieces in the first, which includes views of Girona; 14 landscape studies in the second; 35 figure drawings in the third; 12 drawings, portraits and figure studies in the fourth, and 8 more pieces dedicated to landscapes, notes and details. The thematic and technical diversity of this material allows us to approach a more intimate facet of Martí Alsina's work and understand drawing as an essential tool in the construction of his pictorial language.
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