JOAN BAPTISTA PLANA

Joan Baptista Plana Pujol was born in Tarragona on September 25th, of 1916. From a young age, he showed an extraordinary talent for drawing. He enrolled in the Municipal School of Art, where he was taught by the painter Pere Ferrán and the school's director, Salvador Ripoll, completing his studies in 1930 with an outstanding grade.

He was a highly emblematic figure of Tarragona painting, with his figurative Impressionist style that was inspired in Fortuny, Tapiró, Mir, Gimeno, and Sorolla. He primarily used watercolor, although he also painted in oils. He held 130 exhibitions during his lifetime, both individual and group, including those in Tarragona, Valls, Reus, Ripoll, Lleida, Salou, Vitória, Madrid, Sabadell, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Málaga, Castellón, and Valencia. Between 1950 and 1951, he exhibited in Barcelona at the renowned Sala Gaspar and the Museum of Modern Art, in 1953 at the 47th edition of the Tortosa City Hall Salon, and in 1954 at the Palacio de la Virreina in Barcelona.

He received numerous awards and distinctions, and his work is featured in numerous collections in Spain and abroad, in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, Canada, France, England, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Norway.

He died on February 8th, of 1984. Tarragona City Council published a book in honor of his work, which includes the most important aspects of his life and work. They also dedicated a street to him. He also has a permanent exhibition in the Casa Canals Museum in Tarragona.