Portrait of Salvador Robert 1895 - 1897

Santiago Rusiñol sketched this portrait of Salvador Robert in pencil. Rusiñol was a key figure in the Catalan Modernisme movement, which sought to redefine Catalan identity through art and culture against the backdrop of a Spain undergoing significant social and political change. Rusiñol, who came from a wealthy family, often depicted his bourgeois contemporaries, capturing their likenesses with a mix of reverence and subtle critique. The confident yet somewhat melancholic gaze of Robert speaks volumes about the aspirations and anxieties of a class navigating shifting social landscapes. Rusiñol's work often reflected his belief that "art is feeling," and here, that feeling is palpable in the delicate lines that define Robert's features. By immortalizing figures like Robert, Rusiñol not only documented his era but also subtly questioned and redefined the prevailing norms, making space for alternative narratives within the established social order.