Sert y Badia, José María

▪ Spanish painter

born Dec. 21, 1874, Barcelona, Spain

died Nov. 27, 1945, Barcelona

      painter whose modern Baroque murals achieved international recognition. His work adorns the walls of such buildings as the assembly hall of the League of Nations (Geneva), the RCA Building in Rockefeller Center, and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (both in New York City).

      With the Barcelona artists Miguel Utrillo, Ramón Casas, and Santiago Rusiñol, Sert became part of the thriving Catalan avant-garde. After a period in Rome studying the works of the Italian Renaissance masters, he went to Paris in 1899, having decided to dedicate himself to murals and decorative art. Through his friendship with the Bishop of Vich, he was commissioned to decorate the cathedral of Vich, a project that took more than 30 years to complete. When the finished murals were destroyed by fire in 1936, he painted a second version of his decoration. As his fame spread, he began to travel all over the world, painting murals for large halls in Buenos Aires, London, Barcelona, Paris, Venice, and New York City.

      Initially Sert was influenced by Art Nouveau, but his work became more and more visually conservative. His murals for numerous hotels and cocktail lounges across the world are in an extravagant Baroque style. Dazzling and energetic, they make a strong first impression.

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