Like all great artists, the power of Mariano Fortuny's (Reus, 1838 – Rome, 1874) painting remains fully relevant. "It is becoming increasingly clear to me that the artistic theme of his life was the metaphor of time," states Francesc Quílez, curator of the Fortuny Year and of the exhibition at the Salvador Vilaseca Museum in Reus. Fortuny, the observation of nature. The power of the gaze, Showing until December 14th. “In his paintings, Fortuny tries to freeze time, to hold onto it,” Quílez explains. “Obviously, it’s a futile and sterile effort, because you can’t hold onto time; it’s infallible. The only certainty is death, but aesthetically, Fortuny tries to convey that feeling, that state of mind.”