Arcadi Mas i Fondevila, or Fontdevila (12 November 1852 in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

– 31 January 1934 in

Sitges Sitges (, , ) is a town about 35 kilometres southwest of Barcelona, in Spain, renowned worldwide for its Film Festival, Carnival, and LGBT Culture. Located between the Garraf Massif and the Mediterranean Sea, it is known for its beaches, nightspot ...

), was a Catalan painter and graphic artist.

Biography

Fondevila-Peasant in Rome-Google Art Project

He was the son of a tailor. His father recognized his artistic talent at an early age and enrolled him at the

Escola de la Llotja The Escola de la Llotja (, "Llotja School"; es, Escuela de la Lonja), officially the Escola d'Arts i Oficis de Barcelona (Barcelona Arts and Crafts School), is an art and design school located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The school took its ...

, where he studied with Claudi Lorenzale and Antoni Caba.Brief biography
@ the

Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana The ''Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana'' (in English: the ''Great Catalan Encyclopedia'') is a Catalan-language encyclopedia, started in fascicles, and published in 1968 by . The soul of the work was written by Max Cahner, and the first director was ...

. At the age of twenty, he held his first exhibition at the salon of the "Associació Artística de Barcelona". In 1873, he visited Madrid where he exhibited a painting at a Salon held by the "Real Fábrica de Platería Martinez". It was called "Pel juny la falç al puny" (In June with Sickle in Hand) and was bought the following year by King

Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 188 ...

.Brief biography
@ the

Museo del Prado The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It is widely considered to house one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the ...

In 1875, he was awarded the first Fortuny Scholarship by the "Ayuntamento de Barcelona" (the city government), which enabled him to further his studies in Italy. He spent ten years there, visiting several major art centers and sending works home for display at the

Sala Parés The Sala Parés is the oldest art gallery in Barcelona, Spain. Initially an art store, established in 1840 by Joan Parés, it slowly evolved into a gallery and formally became one in 1877. History Founded by the original store owner's son, , an ...

. During this visit, he was significantly influenced by the work of

Domenico Morelli Domenico Morelli (4 August 182313 August 1901) was an Italian painter, who mainly produced historical and religious works. Morelli was immensely influential in the arts of the second half of the 19th century, both as director of the Accademia di ...

. Upon his return, his friend suggested that he come with him to Sitges to work with

Santiago Rusiñol Santiago Rusiñol i Prats (, ; Barcelona 25 February 1861 – Aranjuez 13 June 1931) was a Spanish painter, poet, journalist, collector and playwright. He was one of the leaders of the Catalan ''modernisme'' movement. He created more than a ...

. This led to the establishment of the "Escola Luminista", an artistic movement that came to include many notable Catalan painters. He continued to exhibit widely, including at the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition. In the 1890s, he made several trips to Madrid and Granada with Rusiñol to create illustrations for ''

La Vanguardia ' (; , Spanish for "The Vanguard") is a Spanish daily newspaper, founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan (Spanish copy is automatically translated into Catalan). It has its headquarters in Barcelona and i ...

''. After 1895, he worked full-time as an illustrator for '. In 1899, he joined the

Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc The Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc (, meaning in English "Saint Lluc Artists' Circle") is an arts society which was founded in Barcelona (Catalonia) in 1893 by Joan Llimona, Josep Llimona, Antoni Utrillo, Alexandre de Riquer, the city councillo ...

and, the following year, had his first exhibition of

pastel A pastel () is an art medium in a variety of forms including a stick, a square a pebble or a pan of color; though other forms are possible; they consist of powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are similar to those use ...

s. In 1913, thanks to a donation from

Charles Deering Charles Deering (July 31, 1852 – February 5, 1927) was an American businessman, art collector, and philanthropist. He was an executive of the agricultural machinery company founded by his father that became International Harvester. Charles's s ...

, a patron from America, he was able to decorate the tympanum of the portal of Saint Catherine at the parish church in Sitges. The original has faded badly with the passage of time, but a copy is currently on display. In 1928, he was among those commissioned to paint murals in the

Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya The Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya is a historic palace in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It houses the offices of the Presidency of the Generalitat de Catalunya. It is one of the few buildings of medieval origin in Europe that still function ...

. His final exhibition came in 1932 at the salon held by "La Pinacoteca", a local art gallery. In 1985, a major retrospective of his work was held at the

Maricel Museum The Maricel Museum is a museum located in the centre of Sitges; reopened after a major refurbishment in 2015. The Maricel Museum is part of the Barcelona Provincial Council Local Museum Network. Content In 1969, the Barcelona Provincial Corporatio ...

Selected paintings

Arcadi Mas-el-Reposo.jpg, Repose Arcadi-Mas-Pastora-con-Ocas-.jpg, Shepherdess with Geese (Barcelona) Estudi 10771, 1878 - Arcadi Mas i Fondevila - Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.jpg, Study (later copied, in part,
by

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

) Arcadi Mas-Processo.jpg, Procession (Barcelona) Nen pompeià - Arcadi Mas i Fondevila - Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.jpg, ''Pompeian Child''

References

External links

Arcadja Auctions: More works by Mas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mas i Fondevila, Arcadi 1852 births 1934 deaths 19th-century Spanish painters Spanish male painters 20th-century Spanish painters 20th-century Spanish male artists Painters from Catalonia Orientalist painters Painters from Barcelona 19th-century Spanish male artists

Biography

Selected paintings

References

Further reading

External links