Up until the '30s a surrealism unique to Empordà emerged, inspired by the natural geography of the area and represented by Joan Massanet and Àngel Planells.
Figurative landscape in Empordà became more focused on daubs of colour and material for artists during the '50s, who were immersed in a series of sculptural explorations and collective attitudes, which arose from groups such as Indika (1952) the Primera Manifestació Pictòrica d’Art Contemporani Empordanès (1960) and Grup 5 (1973).
The experimental art the painters worked with came from abstraction, derived from the informality of Joan Massanet, Ramon Molons and Miquel Capalleras, the gesturalism of Bartomeu Massot i Patxé, the constructivism of Joan Sibecas, the cosmic abstraction of Evarist Vallès, the suprematism of Joaquim Llucià, the kinetism of Puig Manera, the new figuration of Marià Baig and Felip Vilà, and the expressionism of Moisès Sidrach and Joan Paradís. In 1984, Ansón, Lleixà, Ministral, Pujolboira and Roura created "Grup 69". These artists have their free interpretation of the landscape in common.
In short, the work of the Empordà artists led the way for a variety of interdisciplinary artistic disciplines that became the latest trends, and the collections at the Museum of the Empordà continue to grow with the recent work of the best contemporary artists.