An era of splendour

The collection at the Museum of Catalan Modernisme takes visitors on a delightful journey back in time to the Modernista era: a glorious period that help to lay the foundations for today’s Barcelona.

Inextricably linked to the identity of both Barcelona and Catalonia, the Modernista movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is present in aesthetic and intellectual contexts that form an indelible part of the city’s history. The Museum of Catalan Modernisme enables visitors to discover this rich heritage.

The importance of Modernisme

The museum is located in the Eixample district, near Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla de Catalunya, and is housed in a Modernista building designed in 1902 by the architect Enric Sagnier. It was established at the initiative of two Barcelonan antique dealers, Fernando Pinós and Maria Guirao, who, having devoted 40 years to Catalan Modernisme, assembled a 350-piece collection.

Outstanding figures from that glorious period, such as Antoni Gaudí, Josep Llimona, Puig i Cadafalch and Enrique Clarasó, amongst others, are all represented in the museum, which embraces a full range of artistic disciplines, including painting, sculpture, furniture and decorative arts.