Francesc Torrescassana I Sallarés, Male Portrait, 1873, Oil on Canvas

“Male portrait”, Francesc Torrescassana, 1873 - Catalan School

Exquisite oil on canvas depicting a male portrait, signed and dated by Francesc Torrescassana in 1873. The man is represented in three quarters, with a serene expression. He appears elegantly dressed, with the clothing of the time, a black jacket over a white shirt and a black bow tie or bow. Work of extraordinary quality, because, despite the neutral background, the artist manages to generate space using a careful and precise technique, which manages to represent the facial features of the sitter in detail. It retains its original frame, made of carved wood, oval and covered in gilt.
The 19th century has sometimes been called “The Century of the Portrait.” from its very birth, the portrait was associated with figures endowed with economic, social or political power that they wanted to show and perpetuate, but it lived its golden age during the 19th century, especially throughout the last third, as it became a form of of coveted distinction among people who could afford it. It extended to all types of techniques: painting, sculpture, medallion, 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 effigies with a increasing naturalism.

About the author: Francesc Torrescassana i Sallarés (1845-1918)
Torrescassana was a Catalan painter and art critic, a disciple of Martí i Alsina, from whom he adopted the realist style, and applied it preferably to the rural landscape, a genre of which he was a prominent representative. Both artists met at the Llotja school, where Martí Alsina had been a teacher since 1852 and Torrescassana was his student during the academic years 1860-61 and 1863-64. There he also studied under the direction of Claudi Lorenzale, one of the great exponents of Catalan romanticism. He continued to expand his studies in Rome and Paris. He became known at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1864, obtaining an honorable mention, although he did not focus his career on a special competitiveness, but rather focusing his activity as a regular exhibitor in the successive group exhibitions of his time. .

The romantic influence marked him especially during his early works, although he soon evolved towards a much more realistic style, dedicated to representing everyday scenes and landscapes, particularly from the Catalan rural and urban environment. His works capture with precision and detail the atmosphere of daily life. He is, therefore, a leading figure in the transition from romantic painting to a more realistic style, although his work also shows influences of impressionism, an influence from his stay in Paris. He is considered a witness and visual chronicler of his time, since many of his works reflect the social and urban transformation that was taking place in Catalonia in the 19th century. He also stood out in his role as a portrait painter. In 1935, a tribute exhibition about the painter was held at the Galerias Syra in Barcelona.

Technique on support: Oil on canvas
Title of the work: “Male portrait”
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.

The frame that protects the work is offered as a gift, but has value in itself. 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, which does not affect the integrity of the artwork, cannot be accepted as a valid reason to open a claim or request a cancellation.