author
Josep Berga i Boix
1837–1914
A founder of the Olot school of painting, this Catalan artist became known for calm, realistic landscapes shaped by the light and countryside of Garrotxa. He was also a teacher and writer, remembered in later life as "Avi Berga."
1 Audiobook
L'estudiant de la Garrotxa : Novela de costums
by Josep Berga i Boix
About the author
Born in La Pinya in 1837 and later active in Olot, Josep Berga i Boix was a Catalan landscape painter whose work was influenced by the Barbizon school. Alongside his friend Joaquim Vayreda, he helped establish the Olot school, a movement closely tied to painting nature directly and attentively.
Berga is especially associated with scenes of the Garrotxa region, where he painted fields, trees, skies, and rural life with a quiet, observant style. In addition to painting, he worked as an art teacher and also wrote, making him an important cultural figure in Olot as well as a practicing artist.
In his later years he was affectionately known as "Avi Berga," or "Grandpa Berga." He died in Olot in 1914, leaving behind a legacy linked to Catalan landscape painting and to one of the best-known regional schools of art in Spain.