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 “Eveli Torent. Entre els Quatre Gats i la maçoneria” (Foto S. Guasteví)
Loan

Loan of a portrait of Enric Morera to the MNAC

The portrait of Enric Morera painted by Eveli Torent has been loaned to the MNAC since early October 2024. It is part of the temporary exhibition "Eveli Torent. Between Quatre Gats and Freemasonery," which can still be visited until February 16, 2025.

This is an oil painting on canvas of the Catalan composer Enric Morera Viura (Barcelona, 1865 – 1942), with registration number MDMB 11138. Morera was one of the founders, along with Enric Granados and Jaume Pahissa, of the Teatre Líric Català and one of the main representatives of musical Modernism. His training began in a self-taught manner in Argentina. After studying in Barcelona with Tolosa, Vidiella, and Pedrell, he moved to Brussels to study with Fiévez. In 1890, he returned to Barcelona, where he was embraced by the Modernist movements and premiered "Dansa de Gnoms" (1893) and "Introducció a l’Atlàntida" (1893). Soon after, he founded the Societat Coral Catalunya Nova, linked to the claverian movements. In 1905, he took charge of Espectacles-Audicions Graner and presented "El Compte Arnau" and "La Santa Espina" (1907), a resounding success. In 1906, he premiered successful productions at the Liceu, such as "Emporium" and "Bruniselda." He was appointed deputy director of the Municipal School of Music, a position that allowed him to influence composers like Pahissa and Montsalvatge.

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The portrait is by Eveli Torent y Marsans (Badalona, 1876 – Barcelona, 1940), who trained at the Escola de Llotja in Barcelona under the mentorship of, among others, Ramón Martí Alsina. He exhibited at the popular Barcelona brewery Quatre Gats and at the Sala Parés in Barcelona. In 1901, he moved to Paris, where he participated in several editions of the Salon des Indépendants and connected with the artistic avant-garde, particularly with Hermen Anglada Camarasa. His work is notable for press illustration and portraiture (Fontbona & Sala, 2005). In this portrait, Enric Morera sits in a simple chair, in front of a neutral background but with vibrant brushstrokes and intense reddish tones that highlight the figure, dressed in a dark jacket and a white shirt that frames his face. The subject has a sheet of music in front of him and furrows his brow in a gesture of concentration or slight frustration, conveying great naturalism.