Joaquim Vancells studied drawing and painting at the Artistic Circle of Terrassa. His work was soon influenced by the landscapes of Joaquín Vayreda, his chromatic harmony and lyricism. He continued his training at the Escuela de la Lonja in Barcelona, but soon abandoned his studies to devote himself to plein air painting as a self-taught artist.

In 1881 he presented a landscape painting at the Sala Parés, and that same year he received an honourable mention at the Barcelona Fine Arts Exhibition. In 1894 he obtained a second medal and a first medal in 1896. A founding member of the Círculo Artístico de Sant Lluc, he painted the landscapes of two soffits of the presbytery of Montserrat.

His favourite subject was the ...