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Josep Berga i Boix (25 October 1837, La Pinya, Garrotxa - 8 October 1914, Olot) was a Spanish landscape painter; influenced by the Barbizon school and one of the founders of the Olot school. In his later years he was known as Avi Berga (Grandpa Berga).

Biography

He was born to a family of peasant laborers. His early education came from two local monks and his first exposure to art probably came at the farmhouse owned by his parents' employer. The only way open to continue his education was by pursuing an ecclesiastical career so, in 1852, he went to Olot to attend the Latin school.[1] While there, he was able to study drawing with a local artist named Narcís Pascual i Sala (1805-1869).

In 1855, he moved to Girona to continue his religious training at the seminary. He was there for six years without making a definite decision about entering the clergy. Along with his official studies, he took private lessons from Alfons Gelabert Buxó [ca], who had studied with Thomas Couture in Paris. When he left the seminary, he found work as a draftsman for the architect, Martí Sureda [ca].[2]

He became a regular contributor of illustrations for various periodicals, including Catalunya Artística [ca]. As a result of some work he did for a Carlist newspaper, he was briefly forced to take refuge in Perpignan after the Revolution of 1868, where he met Joaquim Vayreda and was introduced to the Barbizon school of landscape painting.[2] He also took this occasion to make sketches in the Pyrenees. Upon his return, he applied to be Director at the Drawing School of Olot, but was unsuccessful. He settled there, however, and worked with Vayreda to create a local style of painting, which showed the influence of Barbizon as well as the Norwich school.[1]

During the Third Carlist War, he had to go to France temporarily again. In 1877, he was finally named Director of the drawing school; a position that occupied most of his energies for the rest of his life.[1] Among his best-known students there were Josep Clarà and Miquel Blay i Fàbregas.[2] In 1880, together with Vayreda and others, he created a special workshop for religious images; "Els Sants d'Olot", which gained an international reputation. Berga later quit in frustration over being unable to change the public's "bad taste" in regards to those types of images.[3]

He was also an amateur writer. From 1893 to 1894, his semi-autobiographical narrative, "L'estudiant de la Garrotxa", was published as a serial in La Ilustració Catalana [ca]. This was issued as a book in 1895, with illustrations by several artists from Olot. He later produced a sequel, a study of art in Olot, a play ("La Borda", 1902) and, towards the end of his life, a collection of stories; Llegendes de la comarca d'Olot.[2]

In 2000, the Olot Town Council added his portrait to the "Gallery of Illustrious Olotinos".

Selected paintings

• 
  Landscape with
  Shepherd and Flock
• 
  Red Sky
• 
  Untitled landscape
• 
  Procession

References

Further reading

• Vicenç Jordà, "Els amors imposibles de Josep Berga", Revista de Girona #275, 2012 Online
• Jaime Pumerola, "José Berga y Boix (l'avi Berga)", Revista de Girona, 2008 Online
• Joan Sala i Plana, Joan, Josep Berga i Boix:1837-1814: l'intèrpret d'una època, Olot- Llibres de Batet-Col·lecció d'artistes, 2000 ISBN 84-86626-28-5

External links

• Museu dels Sants d'Olot website.

На других языках

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- [en] Josep Berga i Boix

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[es] Josep Berga Boix

Joseph Berga y Boix (La Pinya, Vall de Bas, Gerona, 25 de octubre 1837-Olot, La Garrocha, 8 de octubre de 1914), también conocido como el «Avi Berga» («Abuelo Berga»),[1] fue un pintor paisajista español que, influenciado por la Escuela de Barbizon, fundó junto con su amigo Joaquim Vayreda la Escuela de Olot de Pintura. Fue maestro de dibujo del Centro Artístico, núcleo de la escuela de Olot, y director durante siete años de la Escuela de Dibujo de la misma ciudad. También se le conoce como escritor de diversas publicaciones.[2] En menor medida se dedicó a la escultura de imaginería religiosa en la empresa El Arte Cristiano, de la que fue gerente desde su fundación en 1880 hasta que dejó la sociedad en 1892.[3]

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[fr] Josep Berga i Boix

Josep Berga et Boix , né à La Pinya, hameau de La Vall d'en Bas (Catalogne, Espagne), le 25 octobre 1837 et mort à Olot (Catalogne) le 8 octobre 1914, aussi connu populairement comme l'Avi Berga (le Grand-père Berga)[1], est un peintre paysagiste catalan qui, influencé par l'École de Barbizon, vint fonder ensemble avec son ami Joaquim Vayreda l'École de peinture d'Olot. Il devient professeur de dessin du Centre Artistique, centre de l'école d'Olot, et directeur durant sept ans de l'école de dessin de la même ville. Il est aussi l'auteur de plusieurs publications. Dans une moindre mesure, il se consacre également à la sculpture religieuse au sein de l'entreprise El Arte Cristiano, dont il est gestionnaire depuis sa création en 1880, jusqu'à son départ de la société en 1892.

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