A self-taught painter, he took some classes from the painter Joan Roig i Soler and studied drawing at the Ateneu Obrer de Barcelona with Antoni Gelabert. While still very young he joined the Modernista group known as Els Negres.

Most of his work depicts popular events which allow him to represent crowds, in a style that owes much to Modest Urgell (La processó de Sant Medir [Saint Medir Procession], 1907; MNAC collection). In 1903 he held his first exhibition at the Quatre Gats café (Montsió, 3 bis) together with the sculptor E. Casanovas.
He soon gave up painting and drawing to devote himself to education, a field in which he made some important contributions, such as the setting up of the Barcelona City Council´s School Board.