[15] As a child Marían spent much of his time at the Cavaller de Vidrà estate,[16] later frequenting the Olot Padres Escolapios college;[17] following bachillerato he intended to study law in Barcelona.

Most sources agree he remained on the Catalan Front; some claim he formed part of General Staff of Francesc Savalls,[23] not unlikely as his headquarters was in Cavaller de Vidrà.

Since 15 years of age he was already a regular subscriber of the Madrid-based La Esperanza, the neo-Catholic daily of an increasingly Carlist leaning; he also admitted juvenile fascination with earlier conservative political writings of Jaime Balmes.

[47] Almost all authors dealing with his literary works underline that Marian was enormously affected by the wartime experience, though none of the sources consulted clarifies what the nature of that impact was in terms of his political outlook.

[52] According to his later ex-post declarations, the access did not result from attachment to Carlist dynastical claims; facilitated by traditionalist and religious outlook, it was intended primarily to reinforce the regionalist threads within the movement.

It was possibly thwarted by provincial authorities, as Vayreda lambasted them for ignoring regionalist fundaments of the Traditionalist program; moreover, he complained about political course incompatible with the spirit of the movement, smelling of "liberalism and authoritarianism".

[58] Vayreda explained his juvenile access to Carlism as motivated principally by its defense of traditional regional establishments and by its regionalist spirit, though scholars note that those ex-post declarations might have been burdened by backward extrapolation of his mature views and by his mitigating intentions.

[60] Though by no means natural, inevitable or typical,[61] Vayreda's shift from orthodox Carlist ideario to particular emphasis on only one of its components – regional identity – is considered representative for a group of Traditionalist militants from different parts of Spain.

[62] In the post-war years it was possibly influenced by "ideologia de la muntanya" of Torras i Bages,[63] but assumed particular dynamics in the late 1880s, during campaign against the new Civil Code.

[71] According to dedicated studies of Vayreda's political outlook he remained on intersection between Carlism and Catalanism;[72] some authors agree by maintaining that in mature years he settled for a possibilist compromise between the two.

[80] Vayreda kept painting through all of his adult life, though some scholars claim that in the mid-1890s he was gradually turning towards literature, either due to lack of public recognition[81] or following death of his brother.

[105] Religious works,[106] usually designed for private use[107] or for local sanctuaries,[108] reveal references – at times bordering quotations – to Italian Quattrocento;[109] contemporaries valued them for color and chiaroscuro refinement,[110] today they are appreciated for composition and context.

[112] Far more than esthetic group emphasizing architectural patrimony, studying folklore or celebrating beauty of rural nature, the Olot painters shared the same holistic vision[113] and messianic understanding of art, intended to regenerate the society.

[116] Most agree that its central theme, embodied in a number of symbolic representations,[117] was traditionalist vision of the region, confronting threatening modernity[118] by means of re-vindicating earth, religion and history.

[128] Often set in the recent war, they were gaining popularity among readers; encouraged, in 1895 Vayreda started to participate in local literary competitions and turned out to be fairly successful.

[131] Lively narrated in 1st person[132] with declared intention to provide "veritat essencial", they differ in spirit[133] and are heterogeneous in style,[134] but assembled together acknowledged crude brutality of the war.

[138] Sanch nova (1900)[139] is a contemporary novel set in Alt Garrotxa ambience[140] and focusing on confrontation between modern liberal spirit and traditionalist virtues,[141] embodied in a protagonist, a Catalan priest.

[145] Currently it is viewed as overburdened with didactics and ideology,[146] declared anachronistic pamphlet[147] and utopian idealization of inner Catalonia, represented by mountainous lifestyle pitted against degradation of new society.

Some of his contemporaries considered him late follower of Walter Scott school;[167] others noted lack of romantic gloom and underlining at times bestial brutality[168] put Vayreda next to scandalizing naturalists like Casellas or Victor Catala.

[173] Some sources claim that Vayreda was disappointed by limited success of his paintings; displayed at Catalan and Madrid galleries, they enjoyed polite acknowledgement falling short of universal acclaim, let alone fame.

Vayreda received sort of literary canonization after the fall of Francoism, the process commenced by História de la literatura catalana of Riquer, Comas and Molas[183] and continued in numerous academic books, scholarly reviews and popular press items.

[190] A dedicated study of his elevation process suggests that it was a perfect example of critical literary reception serving as a function of ideological scheme, namely as agent of Catalan nation-building.

[191] Scholarly works on Vayreda's outlook as expressed in his art and political activities suggests that he can hardly be considered an obvious forerunner of Catalan nationalism, that he can not be portrayed as example of a natural shift towards it, and that such approach involves a not insignificant dose of distortion.

Considered within this framework, L’Escola d’Olot ultimately failed when attempting to implant its vision of Catalunya muntanyenca,[193] the rural land of mountains and forests, entrenched in pairalismo culture[194] and spiritually set between Jansenism, Traditionalism and Enlightenment.