The Renaixença ( Catalan pronunciation: [rənəˈʃɛnsə] ; also written Renaixensa before spelling standardisation ), or Catalan Renaissance , was a romantic revivalist movement in Catalan language and culture through the mid 19th century, akin to the Galician Rexurdimento or the Occitan Félibrige movements. The movement began in the 1830s and lasted until the 1880s, when it branched out into other cultural movements. Even though it primarily followed a romantic impulse, it incorporated stylistic and philosophical elements of other 19th century movements such as Naturalism or Symbolism . The name does not indicate a particular style, but rather the cultural circumstances in which it bloomed.
27-516: Along with the later modernisme , this movement ended a period of Catalan cultural decline commonly known as Decadència , that dated back at least to defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) and the subsequent Nueva Planta decrees , which suppressed Catalonia 's traditional institutions, privileges, and furs beginning January 16, 1716. Thus, the aim of this movement was
54-401: A demented priest who ends up killing a prostitute), Caterina Albert (also known as Víctor Catala), author of bloody, expressionistic tales of rural violence, opposed to the idealisation of nature propugned by Catalan Romantics, or Raimon Casellas have been highly influential upon later Catalan narrative, essentially recovering a genre that had been lost due to political causes since the end of
81-685: A more right-of-centre version of Catalan Nationalism, which eventually rose to power with the victory of the Lliga Regionalista in 1912. Until Miguel Primo de Rivera 's dictatorship suppressed all substantial public use of Catalan, Noucentisme was immensely popular in Catalonia. However, Modernisme did have a revival of sorts during the Second Spanish Republic , with avant-garde writers such as Futurist Joan-Salvat Papasseit earning comparisons to Joan Maragall, and
108-417: A new orthography for Catalan. However, only with the later rise of Noucentisme did his projects come to fruition and end the orthographic chaos which reigned at the time. By 1910, Modernisme had been accepted by the bourgeoisie and had pretty much turned into a fad. It was around this time that Noucentista artists started to ridicule the rebel ideas of Modernisme and propelled a more bourgeois art and
135-577: Is a type of illustrated broadside , similar to a one-sheet comic book) is an ironic critique of Catalan bourgeoisie more related to ironic, pre-Realist Catalan costumisme . In poetry, Modernisme closely follows Symbolist and Parnassian poetry, with poets frequently crossing the line between both tendencies or alternating between them. Another important strain of Modernista poetry is Joan Maragall 's "Paraula viva" ( Living word ) school, which advocated Nietzschean vitalism and spontaneous and imperfect writing over cold and thought-over poetry. Although poetry
162-573: Is the Castle of the Three Dragons designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner in the Parc de la Ciutadella for the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition . It is a search for a particular style for Catalonia drawing on Medieval and Arab styles. Like the currents known in other countries as Art Nouveau , Jugendstil , Liberty style , Modern Style and Vienna Secession , Modernisme was closely related to
189-581: The Middle Ages , which was often reflected in art, and in Barcelona , the literary contest known as Jocs Florals or Jocs de la Gaia Ciència was revived. The Renaixença occurred not only in Catalonia proper, but also in other Catalan-speaking regions such as the Balearic Islands . A journal particularly associated with the movement was the magazine La Renaixença , from which the name
216-517: The Modernista style, three of whom are particularly well known for their outstanding buildings: Antoni Gaudí , Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch . Some of the works of Catalan Modernism have been listed by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage : In literature, Modernisme stood out the most in narrative. The nouvelles and novels of decadent writers such as Prudenci Bertrana (whose highly controversial Josafat involved
243-615: The Catalan industrial bourgeoisie built industrial buildings and summer residences ( cases d'estiueig ) in many Catalan towns, notably Terrassa and Reus . The textile factory which is now home to the Catalan national technical museum mNACTEC is an outstanding example. Antoni Gaudí is the best-known architect of this movement. Other influential architects were Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch , and later Josep Maria Jujol , Rafael Guastavino and Enrique Nieto . There were more than 100 architects who made buildings of
270-553: The English Arts and Crafts movement and the Gothic Revival . As well as combining a rich variety of historically-derived elements, it is characterized by the predominance of the curve over the straight line, by rich decoration and detail, by the frequent use of vegetal and other organic motifs, the taste for asymmetry, a refined aestheticism and dynamic shapes. While Barcelona was the centre of Modernista construction,
297-505: The Ibsen-inspired works of Joan Puig i Ferreter , most notably Aigües Encantades ("Enchanted Waters"); Rusiñol's antimilitaristic play L'Hèroe —and symbolist theatre, which emphasised the distance between artists and the bourgeoisie—for example, Rusiñol's Cigales i Formigues ("Cicadas and Ants") or El Jardí Abandonat ("The Abandoned Garden"). Modernista ideas impelled L'Avenç collaborator Pompeu Fabra to devise
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#1732766040061324-576: The Middle Ages. Those writers often, though not always, show influences from Russian literature of the 19th century and also Gothic novels . Still, works not influenced by those sources, such as Joaquim Ruyra 's slice-of-life tales of the North-Eastern Catalan coast are perhaps even more influential than that of the aforementioned authors, and Rusiñol's well-known L'auca del senyor Esteve (roughly "The Tale of Mr. Esteve"; an auca
351-563: The articles of federalist anti- monarchic writers such as Miquel dels Sants Oliver . They also opposed the traditionalism and religiousness of the Renaixença Catalan Romantics, whom they ridiculed in plays such as Santiago Rusiñol 's Els Jocs Florals de Canprosa (roughly, "The Poetry Contest of Proseland"), a satire of the revived Jocs Florals and the political milieu which promoted them. Modernistes largely rejected bourgeois values, which they thought to be
378-401: The full restoration of Catalan as a language of culture, not only through the promotion of various forms of art , theatre and literature in this language, but also attempting to establish a normative standard for the language, something however not fully accomplished until the first quarter of the 20th century. As with most of the other Romantic movements, it was noted for its admiration of
405-625: The most important Modernista poet). The Modernisme movement was centred in the city of Barcelona , though it reached far beyond, and is best known for its architectural expression, especially in the work of Antoni Gaudí , Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch , but was also significant in sculpture, poetry, theatre and painting. Notable painters include Santiago Rusiñol , Ramon Casas , Isidre Nonell , Hermen Anglada Camarasa , Joaquim Mir , Eliseu Meifrèn , Lluïsa Vidal , and Miquel Utrillo . Notable sculptors are Josep Llimona , Eusebi Arnau and Miquel Blay . Catalan nationalism
432-592: The most predominant cultures within Spain . Nowadays, it is considered a movement based on the cultural revindication of a Catalan identity . Its main form of expression was Modernista architecture, but it also encompassed many other arts, such as painting and sculpture, and especially the design and the decorative arts (cabinetmaking, carpentry, forged iron, ceramic tiles, ceramics, glass-making, silver and goldsmith work, etc.), which were particularly important, especially in their role as support to architecture. Modernisme
459-422: The opposite of art. Consequently, they adopted two stances: they either set themselves apart from society in a bohemian or culturalist attitude (Decadent and Parnassian poets, Symbolist playwrights, etc.) or they attempted to use art to change society ( Modernista architects and designers, playwrights inspired by Henrik Ibsen , some of Maragall 's poetry, etc.) The earliest example of Modernista architecture
486-592: The participation of both architects in the construction of the Cafe Torino . Another of his significant buildings was the Casa Terrades (also known as "les Punxes"), which is known for its medieval castle style from the north of Europe. Puig i Cadalfach was actively involved in politics. He was a Barcelona City Councillor from 1901 to 1903, served in the Spanish Parliament from 1907 to 1910 and
513-841: The revival of Catalan culture and in the context of spectacular urban and industrial development. It is equivalent to a number of other fin de siècle art movements going by the names of Art Nouveau in France and Belgium , Jugendstil in Germany , Vienna Secession in Austria-Hungary , Liberty style in Italy , and Modern or Glasgow Style in Scotland . Modernisme was active from roughly 1888 (the First Barcelona World Fair ) to 1911 (the death of Joan Maragall ,
540-645: The spirit of Surrealists such as Josep Vicent Foix or Salvador Dalí being clearly similar to the rebellion of the Modernistes , what with Dalí proclaiming that Catalan Romanticist Àngel Guimerà was a putrefact pervert . However, the ties between Catalan art from the 1930s and Modernisme are not that clear, as said artists were not consciously attempting to continue any tradition. Modernista architecture survived longer. The Spanish city of Melilla in Northern Africa experienced an economic boom at
567-728: The turn of the 20th century, and its new bourgeoisie showed its riches by massively ordering Modernista buildings. The workshops established there by Catalan architect Enrique Nieto continued producing decorations in this style even when it was out of fashion in Barcelona , which results in Melilla having, oddly enough, the second-largest concentration of Modernista works after Barcelona. Josep Puig i Cadafalch Josep Puig i Cadafalch ( Catalan: [ʒuˈzɛp ˈputʃ] ; 17 October 1867 in Mataró – 21 December 1956 in Barcelona )
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#1732766040061594-616: Was a Catalan Modernista architect who designed many significant buildings in Barcelona , and a politician who had a significant role in the development of Catalan institutions. He was the architect of the Casa Martí (also known as " Els Quatre Gats "), which became a place of ideas, projects and social gatherings for such well-known Catalans as Santiago Rusiñol and Ramon Casas . Although Puig i Cadalfach's style separated him significantly from his contemporary Gaudí , their relations were neither tense nor problematic, as demonstrated by
621-534: Was also a literary movement (poetry, fiction, drama). Although Modernisme was part of a general trend that emerged in Europe around the turn of the 20th century , in Catalonia the trend acquired its own unique personality. Modernisme's distinct name comes from its special relationship, primarily with Catalonia and Barcelona , which were intensifying their local characteristics for socio-ideological reasons after
648-475: Was an important influence upon Modernista artists, who were receptive to the ideas of Valentí Almirall and Enric Prat de la Riba and wanted Catalan culture to be regarded as equal to that of other European countries. Such ideas can be seen in some of Rusiñol's plays against the Spanish army (most notably L'Hèroe ), in some authors close to anarchism ( Jaume Brossa and Gabriel Alomar , for example) or in
675-471: Was taken- originally spelt Renaixensa before the Fabrian spelling reform . Modernisme Modernisme ( Catalan pronunciation: [muðərˈnizmə] , Catalan for "modernism"), also known as Catalan modernism and Catalan art nouveau , is the historiographic denomination given to an art and literature movement associated with the search of a new entitlement of Catalan culture , one of
702-567: Was the second president of the Commonwealth of Catalonia from 1917 to 1924. From 1942 to his death in 1956, he was the president of the academic institution of the Catalan language , the Institut d'Estudis Catalans . He was also a great defender of Catalan culture and history which he hoped to see fully restored. He published studies of language, legal order and political organisation in
729-507: Was very popular with the Modernistes and there were many poets involved in the movement, Maragall is the only Modernista poet who is still widely read today. Modernista theatre was also important, as it smashed the insubstantial regional plays that were popular in 19th-century Catalonia. There were two main schools of Modernista theatre: social theatre, which intended to change society and denounce injustice—the worker stories of Ignasi Iglésias , for example Els Vells ("The old ones");
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