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Barcelona & Modernity
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About the Exhibition
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Periods Covered in the Exhibition
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Rebirth: The Catalan Renaixença The first section introduces the exhibition with background information about the revival of the Catalan language and culture in the 19th century. During this period Barcelona expanded rapidly and became the largest, most industrialized and most culturally advanced city in Spain. Following the destruction of the city's medieval walls, the city expanded into an area of new growth known as the Eixample, site of much of the city's new modernista architecture. In 1888, Barcelona celebrated its rising economic power by hosting a Universal Exposition of fine and industrial arts. Highlights include: Ildefons Cerdà's (1815-1876) Plan for the Enlargement of Barcelona (1861); and Lluis Domènech i Montaner's (1850-1923) iron sculpture Rooster Greeting the Dawn (1892), designed for the Café-Restaurant of the Universal Exposition. Modernisme: Painting, Sculpture, Graphic Arts Modernisme refers to a broad cultural movement that emerged in the 1880s and lasted into the 1910s. During this period, progressive artists and intellectuals in Barcelona opened up to foreign influences and embraced radical new ideas and art forms. Ramon Casas (1866-1932) and Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931), the key founders of this new tendency in Catalan painting, turned to themes and subjects reflecting the new realities of modern urban life. They were followed by a second generation of modernista artists led by Isidre Nonell (1876-1911), Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Joaquim Mir (1873-1940). Alexandre de Riquer (1856-1929) and Adrià Gual (1872-1944) produced notable modernista posters and graphic arts. Highlights include: Rusiñol's oil painting Café de Montmartre (1890); Mir's oil painting The Rock in the Pool (c. 1903); and Josep Llimona's (1864-1934) marble sculpture Grief (1907). Modernisme: Quatre Gats In 1897, Casas and Rusiñol joined with others to establish Quatre Gats (Four Cats), a legendary artists café that became the focus of bohemian artistic activity in Barcelona, the site of meetings, exhibitions, poetry readings and puppet theater performances. Picasso, at age 18, became a regular member of the group and held his first solo exhibition there in 1900. Highlights include: Casas' painting Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem (1897); and Picasso's portraits of his fellow artists at the café (1899-1900). Modernisme: Art and Society This section features artistic representations of different levels of society during a period of rapid industrialization, labor strikes and anarchist bombings. Although artists rarely made overly political statements, they did look closely at both the wealthy bourgeoisie and the working poor. Picasso's Blue Period depictions of beggars, prostitutes and abandoned mothers reflect the rising social consciousness of the younger generation of modernista artists in his circle. Paintings and drawings by Isidre Nonell, Picasso's colleague who also focused on lower class life, are featured in this section. Highlights include: Roman Casas' The Garroting (1894), a painting that caused a sensation when exhibited in Barcelona; as well as with Picassos 1903 oil paintings La Vie (Life) and The Blindmans Meal (1903). Modernisme: Architecture and Design Modernisme also found expression in architecture, design and decorative arts. Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Josep Puig i Cadafalch (1867-1957), Josep Jujol (1879-1949) and Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) designed modernista buildings and furnishings concurrent with Art Nouveau in northern Europe, but of considerable originality, frequently expressing the aspirations of Catalan nationalism. The revival of Catalan craft traditions produced remarkable works in wrought iron, stained glass, wood and ceramic. Among the masterpieces of the period are Domènech's Palace of Catalan Music (1905-1908), and Gaudí's Casa Milà (1906-1910) and Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Família (b. 1883). These and other buildings are represented in the exhibition by drawings, models, original fixtures and furnishings. Highlights include: Puig i Cadafalch's Ceiling Lamp from Casa Amatller (1898-1900); Gaudí's Dressing Table from Palau Güell (c. 1899) and Two-Seat Sofa from Casa Batlló (c. 1907). Noucentisme and the New Classicism Noucentisme initially formed as a reaction against the emotional excesses of Modernisme. Nouncentista artists sought to revive the spirit of Catalonia's ancient classical past through more logical, orderly forms and themes infused with the timeless, eternal values of Mediterranean civilization. Joaquín Torres-García (1874-1949), Joaquim Sunyer (1874-1956), Feliu Elias (1878-1948) and Xavier Nogués (1873-1941) led the way in Noucentista painting and design. Classicizing works by Picasso and Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) are included in this section. Highlights include: Picasso's oil painting The Harem (1906); and Enric Casanova's (1882-1948) sculpture Persuasion (1912-1913). Avant-gardes for a New Century Avant-garde art in Catalonia first developed sporadically among isolated individuals and then erupted into a broad movement around 1916, when international artists flocked to Barcelona pursuing inventive new art forms. Rafael Barradas (1890-1929), Torres-García and Joan Miró (1893-1983) were Barcelona's leading avant-garde artists. Cubist paintings by Picasso, surrealist compositions by Miró and Dalí and sculptures by Julio González (1876-1942) are featured in this section. Original manifestos, calligrams and magazines are also exhibited. Highlights include: Miró's oil paintings Self-Portrait (1919) and The Hunter (Catalan Landscape) (1923-1924); along with Dalí's oil paintings Accomodations of Desire (1929) and The Dream (1931). Avant-gardes: The Rational City In the late 1920s a new movement emerged in architecture and design that rejected revivalist styles in favor of starkly minimalist, rational structures. This new movement produced the internationally renowned group GATCPAC (Group of Catalan Architects and Technicians for the Progress of Contemporary Architecture), dedicated to relieving social problems - overcrowding, unsanitary living conditions, epidemic diseases, lack of educational and recreation facilities - through architecture and objects designed for the masses. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) also graced the city with his pavilion for the Barcelona International Exposition of 1929, one of the most celebrated buildings in the history of modern architecture. Highlights include: a model of GATCPAC's Casa Bloc (1932-1936); and a model of Josep Lluís Sert, Joan B. Subirana and Josep Torres Clavé's Central Antituberculosis Clinic (1934-1938). Avant-gardes & Civil War Artists in Barcelona reacted to the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) with posters, paintings, sculptures, films and photographs. This section presents an array of works responding to the crisis, including paintings by Dalí, Miró and Picasso, along with sculptures by Julio González. A model of Josep Lluís Sert's Pavilion of the Spanish Republic for the Paris International Exposition of 1937 will be displayed with studies of Picasso's Guernica. Highlights from this section include: Dalí's 1936 painting Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War); Miró's painting Still Life with Old Shoe (1937); and Picasso's painting Bulls Skull, Fruit, Pitcher (1939). Page 2 of 4 | On the next page: Music, Film, and Interactives in the Exhibition |
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