He studied at the School of Fine Arts as a pupil of Claudi Lorenzale and then went to Paris to further his studies with the painter Eugène Carrière, whose influence is patent in his work. He later went to Rome for a brief period to study fresco painting and upon his return to Barcelona concentrated for a time on making tapestries and paintings on religious subjects (Crist i la Magdalena [Christ and Mary Magdalene]; MNAC collection).

Editor and proprietor of the magazine Hispania, he materialised his interest in contemporary literature in his works on dramatic themes within the Symbolist trend of the Modernista current.

This artist's most outstanding works are his big mural paintings, such as those he did in collaboration with the architect A. Gaudí for Palau Gu?ell (1885-1889; Nou de la Rambla, 3-5) in the music room (now in the MNAC collection) and on the side of the building (no longer in existence). Throughout his career he also designed furniture, such as a display cabinet with clearly Modernista lines (displayed at the Gaudí House-Museum, Park Gu?ell).