José Tapiró y Baró (Spanish painter) 1836 - 1913
Josep Tapiró y Baró was a Catalan painter. One of his closest friends was the painter Marià Fortuny with whom he shared an interest for Orientalism. He was a master of watercolour painting. He was born in Reus, a city in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia. He learned painting from the painter Domènec Soberano in Reus. He met Marià Fortuny in Soberano's workshop. In 1852 he continued his studies in La Llotja school of Fine Art in Barcelona where he learnt from Claudio Lorenzale, Agustín Rigalt and Pau Milá i Fontanals. He moved to Madrid in 1858 to study at the Escuela Superior de Pintura y Grabado. Simultaneously he attended classes at Federico de Madrazo's private academy. Following his friend Marià Fortuny, he moved to Rome in 1862 and was soon integrated in his social circle. In 1871 he travelled to North of Africa with Fortuny. After two more visits, in 1877 he settled in Tanger. His work focused on the depiction of the peoples of Tanger, their lives and appearance. His artwork had great success in English-speaking countries. His works can be found at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona; Museo del Prado, Madrid and the Dahesh Museum, New York.
