A Life Shaped by Shadows and Light Born into a humble family in Barcelona in 1826, Ramón Martí i Alsina faced the sudden loss of his parents at the age of eight. Raised by a godfather who harbored deep reservations about an artistic vocation, the young orphan found himself steered toward the study of philosophy and literature. He eventually earned a bachelor's degree in the subject, yet the pull of the canvas remained. During the nigh…