Miguel Villa Bassols (1901-1988) was a Spanish painter whose artistic career spanned much of the 20th century. After completing his studies at the School of Fine Arts of La Lonja in Barcelona, Villa embarked on a journey through Europe and America.
His early work was influenced by the modernist movements of the time, but throughout his career, Villa’s style evolved, incorporating a unique approach to landscape and figurative painting. His paintings often reflected his European travels, with influences from his time in Paris and his exposure to the evolving modernist movements. Villa’s career was marked by steady recognition, although it wasn’t until his later years that his work achieved broader commercial success, with notable auction results reaching as high as $4,753 for his piece Farmer in 2016.
Villa had his first solo exhibition in Bogotá and later settled in Paris in 1922. In Paris, he participated in the prestigious Salons d’Automne and Salons des Indépendants, key events in the European art scene. His subsequent career saw him exhibiting at renowned galleries and participating in major exhibitions. He was closely associated with the Barcelona art scene, exhibiting regularly at Sala Parés and participating in the Spring Exhibitions of Barcelona in the 1930s. He also exhibited at the 25th Venice Biennale in 1950 and at Galería Leandro Navarro in Madrid in 1998. Back in Spain, Villa settled in Masnou. He exhibited at the Sala Parés in 1929 and participated in the Spring Exhibitions of Barcelona in 1933, 1934, and 1935. He was also one of the painters protected by Joan Merli. During the post-war period, he organized individual exhibitions in the Syra Galleries in Barcelona in 1949 and 1951 and participated in the Barcelona Exhibition of 1951.