Josep Ribot Llupià — Basilica of Santa Maria de Castelló d'Empúries, watercolor on paper, c. 1970–1980

One of the great treasures of Catalan Gothic architecture, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Castelló d’Empúries, is the subject of this watercolour by Josep Ribot Llupià (1925–2020), a Catalan painter specialising in landscapes and architectural views.

The composition takes us to the square of this historic town in the Alt Empordà during the closing decades of the twentieth century. Several period cars are parked in front of the monumental medieval façade, while visitors cross the square. In the foreground, a figure stops to photograph the building, creating an interesting parallel with the artist’s own work: two ways of preserving the memory of a place.

The artist renders the architecture with considerable precision. Notable features include the six archivolts of the Gothic portal, the sculpted apostles, the large central rose window and the bell tower on the left. The complexity of the stonework is conveyed through small brushstrokes, transparent washes and colour variations ranging from ochres and greys to golden tones.

A blue sky painted with broad, spontaneous strokes extends above the scene, its lightness contrasting with the meticulous handling of the façade.

Josep Ribot Llupià: a watercolourist between Catalonia and Ibiza

Josep Ribot Llupià (1925–2020) was a Catalan painter and watercolourist associated with Capellades, in the Anoia region, who later settled in Ibiza.

His work focused primarily on landscapes, seascapes and architectural views. He worked particularly in large-format watercolour, a medium that allowed him to explore transparent colour, atmospheric effects and the relationship between light and built structures.

His exhibition activity is documented from the mid-twentieth century. In June 1960, he took part in an exhibition of artists from Igualada and the surrounding area at the Palau de la Virreina in Barcelona.

In January 1982, the Catalan press announced an exhibition of his watercolours and drawings at a La Caixa gallery. The Biblioteca de Catalunya also holds a reference to a poster for an exhibition entitled Paisatges i marines, held in the exhibition rooms of the Caja de Ahorros Provincial de Tarragona during the 1980s.

These references help trace the career of an artist whose work remains connected to the Catalan tradition of landscape watercolour, but whose biography has so far received limited attention.

The Cathedral of the Empordà: architecture and the memory of an era

The Basilica of Santa Maria in Castelló d’Empúries, popularly known as the Cathedral of the Empordà, is one of the most notable religious monuments of Catalan Gothic architecture.

Its imposing portal, made in the early fifteenth century, is one of its most distinctive features. The archivolts, sculptures of the twelve apostles and tympanum depicting the Epiphany form an exceptional ensemble of medieval sculpture.

Ribot Llupià does more than depict the building as a monument. By including vehicles, pedestrians and small everyday scenes, he places the historic architecture within the life of the town.

The watercolour thus has a dual interest: as a painting and as a visual record of a Catalan square during the second half of the twentieth century.

Technical details

• Artist: Josep Ribot Llupià (1925–2020).

• Title: Basilica of Santa Maria in Castelló d’Empúries (descriptive title).

• Technique: Watercolour on paper.

• Dimensions: 47.5 × 65 cm.

• Period: Second half of the twentieth century, probably the 1970s–1980s.

• Signature: Signed “RIBOT LLUPIÀ” in the lower left corner.

• Location depicted: Castelló d’Empúries, Alt Empordà, Girona, Catalonia.

• Subject: Urban landscape, Catalan Gothic architecture and scenes of everyday life.

• Condition: Good overall condition, with slight signs of ageing and minor surface irregularities in the paper; no significant losses to the composition have been identified.

The Taller Note

What distinguishes this watercolour is its combination of architectural precision and sensitivity to everyday life. Ribot Llupià pays exceptional attention to the portal of Santa Maria, while also making room for cars, visitors and small scenes that place the monument within a particular era.

We are especially interested in the contrast between the permanence of medieval architecture and the passing nature of the human activity depicted. The composition preserves not only the image of one of the Empordà’s great monuments, but also the atmosphere of a square that has changed over time.

Its generous format and the luminosity of the watercolour enhance a work that brings together painting, architecture and historical memory.