Francesc Torrescassana i Sallarés (1845–1918) - Retrato masculino

“Portrait of a man,” Francesc Torrescassana, 1873 - Catalan School

Exquisite oil on canvas in which a male portrait is depicted, signed and dated by Francesc Torrescassana in 1873. The man is represented three-quarters view, with a serene expression. He appears elegantly dressed, with the attire typical of the era, a black jacket over a white shirt and a black bow tie. A work of extraordinary quality, for, despite the neutral background, the artist manages to create space by using a careful and precise technique that details the facial features of the portrait subject. It retains its original frame, a carved wooden oval gilded frame.

Occasionally the nineteenth century has been called “The Century of the Portrait.” From its very birth, the portrait was associated with figures endowed with economic, social, or political power who wished to display and perpetuate themselves, but it reached its golden age during the nineteenth century, especially in the last third, as it became a coveted mark of distinction among those who could afford it. It extended to all kinds of techniques: painting, sculpture, medallic art, miniature, watercolor, drawing, etching, lithography, photography… On the other hand, the influence of photography and the approach of the arts to realism led to representing figures with an increasingly naturalistic rendering.

About the author: Francesc Torrescassana i Sallarés (1845-1918)
Torrescassana was a Catalan painter and art critic, a pupil of Martí i Alsina, from whom he adopted the realist style, and applied it primarily to rural landscape, a genre in which he was a prominent representative. The two artists met at the Llotja School, where Martí Alsina was a professor since 1852 and Torrescassana was his student during the 1860-61 and 1863-64 courses. There he also studied under the direction of Claudi Lorenzale, one of the great exponents of Catalan Romanticism. He continued expanding his studies in Rome and Paris. He made himself known at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1864, obtaining an honorable mention, although he did not focus his career within a competitive framework, but rather centered his activity as a regular exhibitor in the successive collective exhibitions of his time.

The Romantic influence marked his early works, though he soon evolved toward a much more realist style, devoted to depicting everyday scenes and landscapes, particularly of the Catalan rural and urban environment. His works capture with precision and detail the atmosphere of daily life. He is thus a prominent figure in the transition from Romantic painting to a more realist style, though his work also shows influences of Impressionism, reflecting his stay in Paris. He is considered a witness and visual chronicler of his time, as many of his works reflect the social and urban transformation taking place in Catalonia in the nineteenth century. He also stood out in his portraitist role. In 1935 a retrospective exhibition was held in his honor at the Barcelona Galerias Syra.

Technique on support: Oil on canvas
Title of the work: “Portrait of a man”
Author: Francesc Torrescassana i Sallarés (1845-1918)
Year: 1873
Good condition for its age and use
Overall dimensions: 74 x 61 x 5 cm.
Dimensions without frame: 56 x 44 cm.

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The frame that protects the artwork is offered as a gift, but it has intrinsic value. It is provided at no additional cost so that when your artwork arrives at your home or destination it can be displayed immediately. Any damage to the frame itself, that does not affect the integrity of the artwork, cannot be accepted as a valid reason to file a claim or request a cancellation.

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