Ricardo Canals y Llambí was born in Barcelona, Spain on December 11, 1876. He began his training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Barcelone with Isidro Nonell and was a founder of the "Rainbow Group". Canals and Nonell left in 1897 to travel to Paris. Due to a 1897 an exhibition of his work in Barcelona receivehigh acclaim from the French art critic Thiébaud-Sisson. In Paris he became acquainted with the Parisian art dealer Durand-Ruel, who encouraged him to persue picturesque Andalusian themes and consider painting with the Impressionists and Symbolists, resulting in his becoming an excellent colorist.

His close friendship with countryman Pablo Picasso led them to share a house in Malaga, Spain for a while, where he assisted Picasso when he created his first etchings. On his return to Barcelona he founded Les Arts i els Artistes, which, until 1936 brought together Catalan artists of the most contemporary trends. In addition to his picturesque compositions, he became noted as a landscape and portrait painter of the first order. He held numerous exhibitions in Paris, Barcelona, New York, Amsterdam, Ghent, Brussels, etc., and attended art competitions, winning many important awards.

Canals attended the Paris Salons of 1897, 1898 and 1906; National Fine Arts 1908 and 1922 where he won the Second Mention Honorífica Medalla. He also he won the second prize at the l’Exposition Universal de Bruxelles, as well as participating in exhibitions of Fine Arts in Barcelona where there was a special room dedicated his work in 1920. He was a member of the Board of Museums of Barcelona, a member of the Societe des Artistes Françaises and artistic adviser to the International Exposition in Barcelona in 1929. His work is represented in the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, Ghent Museum and the Museum of Bilbao.

Ricardo Canals Y Llambí died in Barcelona, Spain in 1931.