Joan Vidal Ventosa Collection

History of the creator

Joan Vidal Ventosa (Barcelona, 1880-1966) was a painter, restorer, printer and photographer trained at Llotja School of Fine Arts. A great friend of Picasso and a regular attendee at the Quatre Gats, Vidal attracted a great number of artists and intellectuals to his workshop, known as El Guaiaba, including Joaquim Borralleras, Jacint and Ramon Reventós, Dídac Ruiz, Eugeni d 'Ors, J. F. Ràfols, P. Ynglada, Nonell, F. Laberta, J.M. Junoy, Feliu Elias, Manolo Hugué, D. Carles, E. Monegal, I. Smith, I. Pascual, J.M. Folch i Torres and Picasso himself. He took part in the Barcelona Fine Arts Exhibition of 1898 and in that of 1907, where he exhibited the pyrography Vallcarca en nit de lluna [Vallcarca on a Moonlit Night] (MNAC), a work of serene simplicity that places him among the pioneers of Noucentisme. In 1917, he joined the technical services of the Barcelona Art Museums as a photographer, where he also helped remove and transfer a series of Romanesque paintings from Vall de Boí.

The Joan Vidal Ventosa Collection was purchased by the Barcelona Picasso Museum. A receipt documents that, on 9 October 1979, some of the Museum's technicians went to collect the Vidal Ventosa collection from the home of his widow, Ramona Linares.

The collection was registered in phases: the first part of the text-based documents, between 29 September and 6 October 1987; the second part, between 1 and 15 December 1989 and, finally the third part, between 17 December 1992 and 14 January 1993.

A second block, including photographs, graphic documents and reference documentation, was not recorded. The photographs were identified on the back. The reproductions of artworks were numbered and, in some cases, the title and provenance of the works they featured were specified.

The collection was organised and conserved in 2012, applying the standard procedures: registration, identification of collection types (personal collection), archiving, documentation and description in accordance with the standards established according to the type of document (ISBD and NODAC).

As for their preventive conservation, the material has been stored in conservation boxes and sleeves. The restoration department is due to review the collection. The collection is partially digitised using image capture, in accordance with the photographic services protocol for reproducing the Picasso Museum's documentary collections.

Scope and content

The collection comprises some of the material gathered by Joan Vidal Ventosa between 1882 and 1966, the year of his death.  It reflects the friendship he maintained with Picasso throughout his life.

The text-based documents include personal items, such as enrolment slips for courses at Llotja, attendance cards and professional documents —relationships with photographers or publishers— as well as personal and professional correspondence. The correspondence with Jaume Sabartés is particularly interesting as it shows their relationship with Picasso and Vidal Ventosa's role as an intermediary in the authentication of the artist's works.

There are also poems written by Vidal Ventosa at the beginning of the 20th century, which have probably never been published. Of particular note is the collection of photographs, more than 800, almost all taken by Vidal Ventosa himself: pictures of towns all over Catalonia, his workshop El Guaiaba and reproductions of artworks. Of particular interest are the portraits of Picasso, Fernande Olivier and Ramon Reventós at El Guaiaba in 1906.

Finally, the collection also contains graphic material, published works and newspaper clippings related to the art world and Picasso.

Accession details

The Joan Vidal Ventosa Collection was purchased by the Barcelona Picasso Museum in 1979.