Josep Berga i Boix Facts for Kids

Josep Berga I Boix (1900s)

Josep Berga i Boix (born October 25, 1837, in La Pinya, Garrotxa – died October 8, 1914, in Olot) was a Spanish artist. He was famous for painting landscapes, which are pictures of nature. He was inspired by a group of French painters called the Barbizon school. Josep Berga also helped start the Olot school of painting in Spain. Later in his life, people affectionately called him Avi Berga, which means "Grandpa Berga."

Life and Art Journey
Selected paintings
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Life and Art Journey

Early Life and Education

Josep Berga i Boix grew up in a family of farmers. He first learned to read and write from two monks in his village. He probably saw art for the first time at the farmhouse where his parents worked.

To continue his studies, he decided to explore a religious path. In 1852, he moved to Olot to attend a special school called a Latin school. While there, he was lucky enough to take drawing lessons from a local artist named Narcís Pascual i Sala.

In 1855, he moved to Girona to continue his religious training at a seminary. He stayed there for six years, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to become a priest. Besides his official studies, he took private art lessons from Alfons Gelabert Buxó [ca]. This teacher had studied art in Paris. When Josep left the seminary, he found work as a draftsman for an architect named Martí Sureda [ca].

Becoming an Artist

Josep Berga started drawing pictures for different magazines. Because of some work he did for a newspaper, he had to quickly go to Perpignan, France, after a big change in the government in 1868. While in France, he met another artist named Joaquim Vayreda. It was through Vayreda that he learned about the Barbizon school of landscape painting, which focused on painting nature outdoors. He also used this time to sketch the beautiful Pyrenees mountains.

When he returned to Spain, he tried to become the director of the Drawing School of Olot, but he didn't get the job at first. However, he decided to live in Olot. There, he worked with Joaquim Vayreda to create a special style of painting for the area. This style was influenced by the Barbizon school and another group of painters called the Norwich school.

Leading the Olot School

During a time of war in Spain, Josep had to go to France again for a short period. In 1877, he finally became the Director of the drawing school in Olot. This job took up most of his time and energy for the rest of his life. Some of his most famous students at the school were Josep Clarà and Miquel Blay i Fàbregas, who became well-known sculptors.

In 1880, Josep Berga, along with Vayreda and others, started a special workshop. This workshop made religious statues and figures and was called "Els Sants d'Olot." It became famous around the world. However, Berga later left the workshop because he was frustrated. He felt he couldn't change people's "bad taste" when it came to religious art.

The Romeria (1886)

Writing and Legacy

Besides painting, Josep Berga was also a writer. From 1893 to 1894, he published a story called "L'estudiant de la Garrotxa." It was a bit like his own life story and came out in parts in a magazine called La Ilustració Catalana [ca]. This story was later published as a book in 1895, with drawings by other artists from Olot.

He also wrote a follow-up story, a study about art in Olot, and a play called "La Borda" in 1902. Towards the end of his life, he wrote a collection of stories called Llegendes de la comarca d'Olot, which means "Legends of the Olot Region."

In the year 2000, the city council of Olot honored him by adding his portrait to the "Gallery of Illustrious Olotinos." This means he is remembered as one of the most important people from Olot.