Josep Gausachs facts for kids

Josep Gausachs (born 1889, died 1959) was a talented artist from Catalonia, Spain. He was also known as José Gausachs. He created art in Spain, France, and the Dominican Republic.

Early Life and Art Studies

Josep Gausachs was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1889. He faced some tough challenges when he was young. At age 11, a medical procedure caused part of his face to become paralyzed. Later, he lost sight in one eye due to an accident.

Despite these difficulties, Gausachs loved art. He studied at two art schools in Barcelona: the Escola de Baixas and the Escola de la Llotja. He started showing his artwork in exhibitions in 1910. His very first solo art show was in Barcelona in 1911.

Artistic Journey in Europe

After finishing his studies, Gausachs moved to Paris, France. There, he met many famous artists. These included Modigliani, Juan Gris, De Chirico, Picasso, Albert Marquet, Braque, and Marc Chagall. His art was shown in Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

Gausachs liked to try different art styles. He explored Impressionism, which uses small brushstrokes to show light. He also worked with Cubism, which breaks objects into geometric shapes. Other styles he tried were Fauvism, Dadaism, Surrealism, and Expressionism.

In 1919, Gausachs returned to Barcelona. He became a drawing professor at the Academy of Fine Arts. He taught there from 1920 to 1936. During this time, he also showed his art across Spain and Europe. When the Spanish Civil War started in 1936, he had to leave Spain. He went to France and was held in a camp in the south.

New Beginnings in the Dominican Republic

After leaving the camp in 1940, Gausachs moved to the Dominican Republic. Many Spanish people who had to leave their homes during the war also found a new home there. Other artists like Vela Zanetti, Eugenio Granell, Vásquez Díaz, and Ada Balcácer also moved to the Dominican Republic.

Gausachs became one of the first teachers at the National School of Fine Arts in Santo Domingo. He had a big influence on many young Dominican artists. Some of his famous students included Gilberto Hernández Ortega, Clara Ledesma, Paul Guidicelli, and Eligio Pichardo.

He held his first solo art show in the Dominican Republic in 1944. This show featured 187 of his works. These included beautiful landscapes, still life paintings of flowers, portraits of people, and scenes from everyday life. In 1950, a gallery in Barcelona held a special show of his past works. Another show, with 52 pieces from his last 15 years, was held in Santo Domingo in 1954.

In 1955, Gausachs joined Jaime Colson and Gilberto Hernández Ortega in an important international art show. This exhibition was organized in Caracas, Venezuela. Josep Gausachs passed away in Santo Domingo in 1959, at the age of 70.

See also

In Spanish: José Gausachs para niños