Olot school
Encyclopedia
The Olot school' of landscape painting is a group of painters that created an artistic style in the second half of the 19th century. It includes not simply artists from Olot
(in Catalonia
, Spain
), but all artists whose artworks were inspired by the countryside of Olot. By extension, artists connected with Olot and its comarca
, Garrotxa
.
, a period marked by economic prosperity that favored the bourgeoisie
which was the motor of the cultural renaissance of Catalan nationalism
. This bourgeoisie had considerable influence in the arts; it sought art that was realistic, but simultaneously pleasing, elegant, and optimistic, and preferred painting over other artistic disciplines. During this period, several schools of art began and were consolidated, among them the Olot school.
The Olot school of landscape painting is similar to the Barbizon school
. It was formed by Joaquim Vayreda
with the assistance of Ramón Martí Alsina
. From this tradition emerged a new artistic concept: creating multiple versions of the Olot countryside, where the treatment of light and chromatic variations were important elements. The Olot school used the countryside of Garrotxa as a source of inspiration for their work, but with stylistic freedom. Vayreda's paintings attracted the attention of artists including Laureà Barrau, Enric Galwey, Joan Brull
, Lluís Masriera, Modest Urgell
, Ramon Casas, and Santiago Rusiñol
, who went to Olot and also painted depictions of the countryside.
The Olot school was supported by the founding of the Olot Art School (Escola d'Art d'Olot) in 1783 by bishop Tomás de Lorenzana, and also by the creation of workshops dedicated to the reproduction of religious images. The first workshop that was dedicated to this work, "El Arte Cristiano", was founded in 1880. The industry of religious image making expanded considerably starting around 1900 in Olot, and became an important part of the city's economy. Today, the old Arte Cristiano factory has been converted into the Museum of the Saints (Museo de los Santos).
The Olot school was institutionalized by painter Josep Berga i Boix, who served as director of the Olot Artistic and Cultural Center (Centre Artístic-Cultural d'Olot) (founded by Vayreda) in 1869 and later as director of the Public School of Drawing (Escola Pública de Dibuix) from 1877-1914. Annual exhibitions were organized first by the Artistic and Cultural Center and then by other entities.
Numerous other artists later continued the traditions of the Olot school, often training at the Public School of Drawing (called the Escola de Belles Arts i Oficis starting in 1939) under the direction of Ivó Pascual, Martí Casadevall, Bartomeu Mas y Collellmir, and Joan Vilà i Moncau. Other artists belonging to the movement include Josep Berga i Boada, Josep Clarà
, Melcior Domenge, and Josep Pinós.
Since the 2003-2004 academic year, the Olot Art School (Escola d'Art d'Olot) has been called the Superior School of Art and Design
(Escola Superior d'Art i Disseny), adding a degree in interior design; a graphic design degree was added in 2007-2008. Today, there are more than 400 students enrolled, particularly from the neighboring comarcas.
Today, the term "Olot school"--or particularly the term "Olot school of landscape painting" ("escuela paisajística de Olot" or "escola paisatgística d'Olot")--is not well-accepted, because not all artists connected with Olot paint landscapes, and not all the artists connected with the school work or live in the city of Olot.
Olot
Olot is the capital of the comarca of the Garrotxa, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.- Etymology :The etymology of Olot is not clear and there are several hypotheses...
(in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), but all artists whose artworks were inspired by the countryside of Olot. By extension, artists connected with Olot and its comarca
Comarcas of Spain
In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing comarca.*Galician , sing. comarca....
, Garrotxa
Garrotxa
Garrotxa is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its population in 2001 was 47,747, more than half of them in the capital city of Olot. It is roughly equivalent to the historical comarca of Besalú.-Geography:...
.
History
In Catalonia, the proliferation of painting coincided with the RestorationSpain under the Restoration
The Restoration was the name given to the period that began on December 29, 1874 after the First Spanish Republic ended with the restoration of Alfonso XII to the throne after a coup d'état by Martinez Campos, and ended on April 14, 1931 with the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic.After...
, a period marked by economic prosperity that favored the bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
which was the motor of the cultural renaissance of Catalan nationalism
Catalan nationalism
Catalan nationalism or Catalanism , is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or full independence of Catalonia....
. This bourgeoisie had considerable influence in the arts; it sought art that was realistic, but simultaneously pleasing, elegant, and optimistic, and preferred painting over other artistic disciplines. During this period, several schools of art began and were consolidated, among them the Olot school.
The Olot school of landscape painting is similar to the Barbizon school
Barbizon school
The Barbizon school of painters were part of a movement towards realism in art, which arose in the context of the dominant Romantic Movement of the time. The Barbizon school was active roughly from 1830 through 1870...
. It was formed by Joaquim Vayreda
Joaquim Vayreda
Joaquim Vayreda i Vila was a Catalan painter. He is one of the most well-known 19th-century painters of the Catalan countryside.-Biography:...
with the assistance of Ramón Martí Alsina
Ramón Martí Alsina
Ramon Martí i Alsina , was a Catalan Realist painter. He studied in Barcelona at La Llotja school of art under Antoni Ferrant, Claudi Lorenzale and Lluís Rigalt, among others. He made several trips to Paris in successive stages over which he came to know the work of Courbet, the French Realists...
. From this tradition emerged a new artistic concept: creating multiple versions of the Olot countryside, where the treatment of light and chromatic variations were important elements. The Olot school used the countryside of Garrotxa as a source of inspiration for their work, but with stylistic freedom. Vayreda's paintings attracted the attention of artists including Laureà Barrau, Enric Galwey, Joan Brull
Joan Brull
Joan Brull i Vinyoles was a Catalan painter active in the late 19th century. He was a Catalan symbolist painter, along with other artists including Adrià Gual, Josep Maria Tamburini, and Alexandre de Riquer....
, Lluís Masriera, Modest Urgell
Modest Urgell
Modest Urgell was a Spanish Catalan painter, illustrator, and playwright of comedies. He was educated at the Llotja School, in Barcelona, with Ramon Martí i Alsina and knew Gustave Courbet after a visit to Paris. Though he painted portraits, his prolific body of work is dominated by...
, Ramon Casas, and Santiago Rusiñol
Santiago Rusiñol
Santiago Rusiñol i Prats was a Catalan post-impressionist/Symbolist painter, poet, and playwright.He was born in Barcelona in 1861, and died in Aranjuez in 1931 while painting its famous gardens....
, who went to Olot and also painted depictions of the countryside.
The Olot school was supported by the founding of the Olot Art School (Escola d'Art d'Olot) in 1783 by bishop Tomás de Lorenzana, and also by the creation of workshops dedicated to the reproduction of religious images. The first workshop that was dedicated to this work, "El Arte Cristiano", was founded in 1880. The industry of religious image making expanded considerably starting around 1900 in Olot, and became an important part of the city's economy. Today, the old Arte Cristiano factory has been converted into the Museum of the Saints (Museo de los Santos).
The Olot school was institutionalized by painter Josep Berga i Boix, who served as director of the Olot Artistic and Cultural Center (Centre Artístic-Cultural d'Olot) (founded by Vayreda) in 1869 and later as director of the Public School of Drawing (Escola Pública de Dibuix) from 1877-1914. Annual exhibitions were organized first by the Artistic and Cultural Center and then by other entities.
Numerous other artists later continued the traditions of the Olot school, often training at the Public School of Drawing (called the Escola de Belles Arts i Oficis starting in 1939) under the direction of Ivó Pascual, Martí Casadevall, Bartomeu Mas y Collellmir, and Joan Vilà i Moncau. Other artists belonging to the movement include Josep Berga i Boada, Josep Clarà
Josep Clarà
Josep Clarà i Ayats was a Spanish sculptor.Clarà was born in Olot, Gerona, Spain in 1878. He attended the Olot School of Drawing with professor Josep Berga i Boix...
, Melcior Domenge, and Josep Pinós.
The Olot school today
The Drawing Festival (Fira del Dibuix) is celebrated annually in Olot on the Day of Sant Lluc. This festival brings together many artists that sell their works directly to the public. The festival was conceived particularly for the sale of works on paper, such as sketches, but recently it has been possible to find artworks in many media.Since the 2003-2004 academic year, the Olot Art School (Escola d'Art d'Olot) has been called the Superior School of Art and Design
Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny d'Olot
Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny d'Olot is the main Design and Arts & Crafts school of the region of Girona . Since its foundation, it has maintained an active participation in the social, educational, economic and cultural life...
(Escola Superior d'Art i Disseny), adding a degree in interior design; a graphic design degree was added in 2007-2008. Today, there are more than 400 students enrolled, particularly from the neighboring comarcas.
Today, the term "Olot school"--or particularly the term "Olot school of landscape painting" ("escuela paisajística de Olot" or "escola paisatgística d'Olot")--is not well-accepted, because not all artists connected with Olot paint landscapes, and not all the artists connected with the school work or live in the city of Olot.