Julio Peris Brell

JULIO PERIS BRELL (Valencia, 1866 - 1944).
"Beached boats", 1927.
Oil on panel.
Signed, dated and located in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 24 x 33 cm; 37 x 46 cm (frame).
Julio Peris Brell was a painter specialized in landscape, portrait and still life, with a language especially sensitive to light changes. He began his studies in Fine Arts in 1876, and in 1882 he was appointed secretary of the section of painter-members of the Ateneu Científic, Literari i Artístic de Valencia (Scientific, Literary and Artistic Athenaeum of Valencia). He finished his training two years later, and decided to devote himself exclusively to painting, away from teaching. In 1886 he became a full member of the Ateneu, and four years later he presented his first important work, "La fe del baptisme", at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid. There he met the brothers Ricardo and Pío Baroja, with whom he would establish a lasting friendship. After the creation of the Cercle de Belles Arts de Valencia in 1894, he actively participated in its activities, especially in its group exhibitions. At the same time, he dedicated himself to the production of works which, in these last years of the 19th century, were aimed at the Catalan market. However, he also presented his painting outside our borders: in 1897 he participated in the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Mexico and, already in Spain, although outside Catalonia and the Valencian Community, he took part in the exhibitions organized by the Academy of Fine Arts of Cadiz, as well as in those of Fine Arts of Murcia. At the same time, he continued to rise within the Cercle de Belles Arts of Valencia, and carried out projects such as the decoration of the staircase of the palace of José Ayora. In 1911 he expanded his activity and began to collaborate as a draftsman with the magazine "Letras y Figuras". In 1912 he joined the new Círculo de Bellas Artes, where in 1914 he was appointed president of the painting section. His success and prestige grew, and in 1923 a whole room was dedicated to him in the exhibition "Manifestación del arte valenciano" held at the Palacio del Buen Retiro in Madrid. Two years later he will participate in an important collective exhibition of Spanish art held in Buenos Aires. On the other hand, from 1926 he exhibited regularly at the Emporium Gallery in Valencia, and in 1928 he was named a member of the San Carlos Academy. His successes continued and in 1943, a year before his death, the Prat gallery dedicated an important anthological exhibition to him. Peris Brell is currently represented in the Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia, as well as in other public and private collections.