Josep Rovira Soler
Encyclopedia
Josep Rovira i Soler was a Catalan
painter remarkable above all for his ability with portraits.
to help in their family's tobacco
business. And he was born in Santiago de Cuba
sick of malaria
. He had very poor health until he was finally cured in the ship returning to Spain
at the age of two.
His family lived in Vilafranca del Penedès
some years making a living in the wine business, then they went to Cuba
again and lived there for two years. When they returned to Spain
he started going to school where he showed he had a gift for painting
, though not for academic work.
At the age of 20 he started studying at the painting
school La Llotja in Barcelona
, and he did for 2 years. One of his school friends who had been studying there for several years decided to quit, downhearted, when he saw the easiness he showed from the first moment.
He won a scholarship to go to Italy
and another to study in Madrid
.
While painting in Cadaqués
when he was 35 years old he met his wife, Mercè Forns Sant Genís, who was 15 years younger than him. She was watching from the balcony and he attracted her attention because he sang while painting. The Spanish Civil War
prevented them from getting married and they had a relationship by mail during the four years he stayed in Cuba
, till finally when the war ended he returned to Barcelona
to get married.
What he most enjoyed was painting portraits. He had a special ability to show the psychology of the character with just some strokes. The rest of his work is set in Catalonia
and in Cuba
(1936-1939).
http://obrajoseprovira.blogspot.com/
http://joseprovira.artelista.com
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
painter remarkable above all for his ability with portraits.
Biography
His parents were Catalans who traveled to CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
to help in their family's tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
business. And he was born in Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
sick of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. He had very poor health until he was finally cured in the ship returning to 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...
at the age of two.
His family lived in Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilafranca del Penedès, or simply Vilafranca, is the capital of the comarca of the Alt Penedès in Catalonia, Spain. The Spanish spelling of the name, Villafranca del Penedés, is no longer in official use...
some years making a living in the wine business, then they went to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
again and lived there for two years. When they returned to 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...
he started going to school where he showed he had a gift for painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, though not for academic work.
At the age of 20 he started studying at the painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
school La Llotja in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, and he did for 2 years. One of his school friends who had been studying there for several years decided to quit, downhearted, when he saw the easiness he showed from the first moment.
He won a scholarship to go to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and another to study in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
While painting in Cadaqués
Cadaqués
Cadaqués is a town in the Alt Empordà comarca, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is on a bay in the middle of the Cap de Creus peninsula, near Cap de Creus cape, on the Costa Brava of the Mediterranean...
when he was 35 years old he met his wife, Mercè Forns Sant Genís, who was 15 years younger than him. She was watching from the balcony and he attracted her attention because he sang while painting. The Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
prevented them from getting married and they had a relationship by mail during the four years he stayed in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, till finally when the war ended he returned to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
to get married.
What he most enjoyed was painting portraits. He had a special ability to show the psychology of the character with just some strokes. The rest of his work is set 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...
and in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
(1936-1939).
Additional information
- You can read a more extended version of this article in the Catalan Wikipedia, and also in
http://obrajoseprovira.blogspot.com/
http://joseprovira.artelista.com