# Ricardo Opisso Sala artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/ricardo-opisso-sala/
Profile generated: 2026-05-03T01:53:21.314Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1880-11-20
- Death date: 1966-05-21
- Nationality: Spanish
- Common media: ink drawing, watercolor, oil painting, print illustration

## About Ricardo Opisso Sala

Ricardo Opisso Sala (1880–1966) was a Spanish Catalan illustrator, cartoonist, caricaturist, painter, and watercolorist. Born in Barcelona, Opisso became one of the most prolific visual chroniclers of Catalan urban life in the early twentieth century, known for lively ink drawings and watercolors depicting street scenes, café culture, festivals, and popular types. His caricature and illustration work appeared widely in Catalan and Spanish periodicals. Opisso operated under several name variants—including Ricard Opisso, Ricardo Opisso i Sala, and the pseudonym Bigre—which are reflected in library authority records and auction catalogues. His production spans original drawings, watercolors, prints, and published illustrations, making his work accessible to collectors across a range of media and price points.

## Common works and media

Original ink drawings and watercolors of Barcelona street and café scenes, caricatures of public figures and popular types, illustrated book and periodical contributions, posters, and prints. Watercolor cityscapes and festival scenes are among the most sought-after categories. Reproductive illustrations from newspapers and books also circulate and should be distinguished from original artworks.

## Market and appraisal context

Opisso's work appears frequently at auction, with hundreds of recorded lots over the past several decades. The market is dominated by works on paper: ink drawings, watercolors, and printed illustrations. Valuation depends on whether a piece is an original work or a reproductive print, the complexity and finish of the composition, subject matter (Barcelona scenes and Catalan festival themes are characteristic), condition, and provenance. Attribution can be complicated by the multiple name forms used in catalogues. Collectors should verify medium, date, and signature against published references when assessing any Opisso work.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from library authority files, museum records, and published references with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Ricardo Opisso Sala, sources include the RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History), VIAF, Wikidata, the Library of Congress authority file, and the Getty ULAN record.

## Sources

- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/60858
- VIAF (Virtual International Authority File): https://viaf.org/viaf/47814306/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q32431
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricard_Opisso
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500039910
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86051400