Ramon Martí Alsina

Ramón Martí i Alsina (10 August 1826, Barcelona - 21 December 1894, Barcelona) was a Spanish painter in the Realistic style.

He was born to the humble family of a city official and was orphaned at the age of eight. He was then raised by his godfather, who was opposed to his plans to become an artist. Accordingly, he began to study philosophy (and eventually earned a bachelor's degree in that subject) but also attended night classes at the Escola de la Llotja. His first attempts at being a professional artist took place in his mother's home town of Mataró, where he gained a modest reputation with the local bourgeoisie as a portrait painter. At this time, his primary inspiration still came from nature; spending his free time painting in the mountains and along the coast of Maresme.

In 1848, he went to París, where he visited the Louvre and acquainted himself with the works of Horace Vernet and Eugène Delacroix. Later, he discovered the works of Gustave Courbet and came under the influence of the Barbizon school. Four years later, he became a professor of drawing at La Llotja. He was also one of the first to introduce the concept of plein-air painting to his students. His first major exhibition was at the Exposición General de Bellas Artes of Barcelona in 1851. He became a corresponding member of the Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi in 1855.

As a result of his earlier philosophical studies, he was attracted to Positivism, Republicanism and Anti-clericalism and identified with the ideals of the Revolution of 1868. During the reign of King Amadeo I, he resigned from La Llotja (although some sources say he was dismissed) because he wouldn't swear allegiance to the Spanish Constitution of 1869. After the declaration of the First Spanish Republic, he was among those rehabilitated by general order of President Francisco Pi y Margall.

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