19th-20th century Spanish

Mas i Fondevila trained at the Lonja School of Fine Arts in Barcelona, under Antonio Caba (1838-1907) and Claudio Lorenzale (1815-1889). In 1872 he had an opportunity to travel to Madrid, where he visited the Prado and could see the works by Diego Velázquez (1599-1660).

In 1874 the excellence of his painting earned him the first Fortuny scholarship to study in Rome. This scholarship was created by the Barcelona City Council after the death of the painter Mariano Fortuny y Marsal (1838-1874). Once in Rome he studied the painting of Giandomenico Tiepolo (1727-1804) and saw many works by Fortuny. He also travelled to Venice, Naples and Capri. While in Italy, he continued sending works to the group exhibitions held at Sala Parés in Barcelona.

After his return to Barcelona in 1882, the artist Juan Roig i Soler (1835-1918) invited him to Sitges. There, he began to paint en plein air and took part in founding the Luminist School. Three years later he accompanied Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931) and Miquel Utrillo (1862-1934) on an expedition to Granada. In 1892 he took part in the organisation of the Primera Festa Modernista.

In his paintings, Mas i Fondevila engaged mostly with rural landscapes, seascapes and interiors, with an ornamental luminist style that nevertheless eschewed anecdotal elements. His works are in the Museo Nacional del Prado, Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection and Museu del Cau Ferrat.