Domènec Soberano
Domènec Soberano i Mestres(1825,Reus- 1909, Reus) was aCatalanwine merchant who was also an amateur painter and art teacher.
Biography
[edit]Thanks to an improvement his father invented for the process of makingsparkling wine,he was able to travel throughout Europe. In 1866, he converted the family business from a wine warehouse to the production of "Champagne de Reus", under the name Soberano & Cia. In 1867, he presented hisCava wineat theExposition Universellein Paris.[1]
During his trips, he developed an interest in painting techniques and discoveredwatercolors,which were little known in Catalonia at the time. He was largely self-taught, and always considered himself to be an amateur.[2]
He opened a drawing school in Reus, which he operated until 1888. He was a friend of Marià Fortuny Baró and Antoni Marsal, the grandfather and uncle, respectively, ofMarià Fortuny.Soberano was his first painting instructor and, seeing his great potential, recommended him to the sculptor,Domènec Talarn,who brought him to Barcelona. Fortuny was very grateful; maintaining a lifetime correspondence with Soberano and presenting him with several works.[2]
Among his other notable students wereBaldomer Galofre,Josep Tapiró Baró,Joan Roig SoléandJosep Llovera i Bufill.His son,Càstul Soberano Roca,was also a promising painter, but died young.
Few of his own paintings are very well known. Many of them arestill-lifesand watercolor landscapes. His portraits were quite traditional in style. He usually did not sign his works. He also did decorative paintings at several houses in Reus.[3]
Toward the end of his life, he devoted himself to collecting his now-famous student Fortuny's paintings and drawings.[4]
References
[edit]- ^Emili Giralt i Raventós,Empresaris, nobles i vinyaters: 50 anys de recerca històrica: escrits seleccionats,Universitat de Valencia, 2002ISBN978-84-370-5492-6Online
- ^abC. Gonzalez i López,Homenatge a 20 artistes reusencs nats al segle XIX,Banco de Bilbao, 1981ISBN84-300-6117-7
- ^Francesc M. Quílez i Corella,Fortuny (1838-1874),Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, 2003ISBN978-84-8043-111-8
- ^Josep Olesti Trilles,Diccionari biogràfic de reusencs,l'Ajuntament, 1992
External links
[edit]
Media related toDomènec Soberanoat Wikimedia Commons