The Barcelona painter Isidre Nonell (1872-1911) is considered the first countercultural artist From Catalonia, because he broke away from the prevailing trends with his characteristic portraits of Roma women. Instead of succumbing to the dominant folklorism, Nonell's portraits possess a profoundly humanist character and a sense of social critique. Collectors made him pay for it, and in 1901 his first painting exhibition at the Sala Parès was a resounding commercial failure. However, one of the reviews of that exhibition noted how Nonell drew from the tradition of great painters like Goya and Rubens.