Fortuny and Reus. The building of a myth (II)

Abstract

This article examines the early career of the most international painter of nineteenthcentury Catalan art, Marià Fortuny Marsal (Reus, 1838 – Rome, 1874), as well as the artist’s ties with his birthplace during his lifetime and to the present. While the first historical period has been scarcely studied by historians, the painter’s relationship with Reus has been completely neglected. The article reveals a number of unpublished newspaper pieces dating from his first public exhibition in his visits to the city and provides a thorough review of virtually unknown newspaper and archival sources, which are essential to follow the footsteps of Fortuny and the impact of his career success in forming an image of this legendary painter.