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Madrid Art Museums, “the Barcelona connection”

Ramón Casas - Garrote vil (1894)

Gorka Regidor Leave a Comment

Barcelona and Madrid have shared quite a long history together. It is no surprise then that the ghost of Barcelona keeps appearing in the main Art galleries of the Spanish capital. Whenever I travel to Madrid I can’t help spending most of my time revisiting those wonderful museums. Yes, the food and the nightlife are great there but the pleasure of being transported once again by Picasso’s Gernika or the great works of Goya is something that leaves me very little time for anything else. This is a story of 5 paintings in Madrid… and their Barcelona connection.

Ramón Casas, “Garrote vil” (1894)

Ramón Casas - Garrote vil (1894) Museo Reina Sofía
Ramón Casas, “Garrote vil” (1894) Museo Reina Sofía

It is a cold January morning in Barcelona and thousands are gathering around a central scene. We see police on horses, members of a religious confraternity wearing pointed hoods and a platform where everything is happening. Public executions were a rare sight in the city in those days. 16 years had passed since the last one so Barcelona’s citizens weren’t going to miss it. The victim is a young man called Isidre Mompart. His crime? Murdering 2 children in cold blood during a burglary.

The Catalan artist Ramon Casas was among the crowd that day. As was the custom at the time, the body was left for public viewing until dusk. Casas took this opportunity to create some sketches that he would later use to create his masterpiece. The solemnity of such an event breathes through every single inch of the painting. The exact location of the scene is now a public school in Barcelona and I can’t help but wonder how many of the pupils know about the horrors that happened just outside their window.

Pablo Ruíz Picasso, “The Harvesters” (1907)

Pablo Picasso - The Harvesters (1907) Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
Pablo Ruíz Picasso, “The Harvesters” (1907) Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

Picasso will always have a connection with Barcelona. Here it is when, at the age of 14, he moved with his family and started experimenting with oils, watercolours and life. He frequented the bohemian corners of the city, like the café Els 4 Gats, and he experienced the Barcelona of the lower classes, like in his portrait of the prostitutes at Avinyó street. But he also enjoyed the tranquillity of the Catalan countryside, spending some time in towns like Horta de Sant Joan and Gósol.

The harvesters is a remembrance of his time in Gósol in 1906. A group of peasants work laboriously in the Catalan Pyrenees rushing to collect the wheat. Picasso conceived this painting as a counterpoint to Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. The former represents rural life, harmony and freedom. The latter, the enclosed and violent space of a modern urban city.

Salvador Dalí, “The great masturbator” (1929)

Salvador Dalí - The great masturbator (1929) Museo Reina Sofía
Salvador Dalí, “The great masturbator” (1929) Museo Reina Sofía

In one of the four corners of Plaça Reial there is a restaurant with a very confusing sign above the door: Museo Pedagógico de Ciencias Naturales (Pedagogical Museum of Natural Science). It is the only clue telling us that at this same spot there used to be a taxidermist shop. The business closed down in 1991 but for almost 70 years it was one of the main attractions on this side of the city.

Children used to gather to watch the shop’s famous family of stuffed gorillas while Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí were both enchanted by its dreamy presence. Tigers, dogs and all types of birds filled the place with a surreal atmosphere that the Catalan artists couldn’t resist. Dalí had the most unusual requests. Once, he purchased a stuffed baby rhino and photographed himself riding it on the square outside. On another occasion, he ordered the impossible: 100,000 stuffed ants. Maybe for his personal collection or maybe as an inspiration for his paintings, like this one: The Great Masturbator, one of his most striking works.

Jean Ranc, “Portrait of Philip V” (1723)

Portrait of Philip V (1723 - Jean Ranc) Museo Nacional del Prado
“Portrait of Philip V” (1723 – Jean Ranc) Museo Nacional del Prado

Proud, powerful, arrogant… These are just some of the words that come to my mind trying to describe the man portrayed here. For better or worse, Philip V will always be connected to the history of Barcelona. It was under his reign and his troops that the city fell in 1714 ending the War of Spanish Succession. The consequences of that defeat are still remembered 300 years later as if his ghost and the thousands who perished, never left.

José Moreno Carbonero, “Prince Carlos de Viana” (1881)

Prince Carlos de Viana (1881 - José Moreno Carbonero) Museo Nacional del Prado
“Prince Carlos de Viana” (1881 – José Moreno Carbonero) Museo Nacional del Prado

If there is a universal image of the charming prince, this is it. A tall skinny figure with a long and pointed nose, fair skin, bowl haircut and melancholic expression. Except that this is not the happy prince of the fairytales. A lover of art and music, Carlos de Viana will always be remembered in history as “The Prince of Viana” but he could have also been king. As the eldest son of John II, King of Aragon, his rights to the throne were more than obvious.

His story is almost a Cinderella one. All the ingredients are there: An evil step-mother, a jealous step-brother and the chance of being a king for a day. That day was the 12th of March 1461 when he triumphantly entered Barcelona to be recognised as the future King of Aragon. The dream didn’t last long as barely 7 months later, Carlos died in the Royal Palace. Shortly after, his step-mother arrived in Barcelona with her son and they visited the Crypt of Saint Eulalia where Carlos body lay. She paid her respects and kissed the coffin. Her son did not. Maybe he felt he didn’t have to. After all, he was about to become Ferdinand “The Catholic”, Maquiavelo’s perfect prince and a very different one from the fairytales.

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If you are into learning about the history of the places you visit and also appreciate Art, you would probably enjoy some of the walking tours we offer in Barcelona.

Photographs by the collections of Museo Reina Sofía, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and Museo nacional del Prado

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MOST RECENT REVIEWS OF RUNNER BEAN TOURS BARCELONA

RUNNER BEAN TOURS - Barcelona Private Tours & Free Walking Tours
RUNNER BEAN TOURS - Barcelona Private Tours & Free Walking Tours
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Maria Fonseca
Maria Fonseca
21:04 31 Dec 20
Was a pleasant experience to have Lisa as tour guide. Full of details her explanation and very focus on what she was saying. A touch of british humour was very much appreciated ;) Thank you
Brigitte Gneissl
Brigitte Gneissl
12:47 09 Dec 20
I booked the group tour for the Gothic quarter but obviously due to the current circumstances I was the only one on the tour. Hence, my fantastic tour guide Lisa gave me a private tour and it was super interesting. I... really learned a lot and it's a great way of discovering Barcelona. Highly recommended for anyone who comes to BCN! It's so important to also learn about the history and culture. A fantastic tour. Greetings to Lisa.read more
Satyajeet Sarang
Satyajeet Sarang
15:56 17 Oct 20
We did the Gothic Quarter tour with Miguel. We were lucky that the other party on the tour had cancelled so we had a private tour!! Miguel was extremely knowledgable and gave us lot of detail and information on each... place and also bits and pieces of the in-between that tied the places together into a whole story! Miguel spent a good amount of time with us and also gave us good local tips for food, shops and such. We would highly recommend Runner Bean Tours!!read more
Lisa Gill
Lisa Gill
11:17 14 Oct 20
We had a fantastic tour led by Lisa and due to COVID it was just the three of us. We've been to Barcelona many times and so it was wonderful to learn more about the history of the city and the buildings we love so much.... Lisa was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommended!read more
rhonda caplan
rhonda caplan
03:03 13 Oct 20
We were so impressed with our tour. It was fun, and extremely informative. They go by donation and they are worth every penny .My friend and I have been on tours in a lot of cities and this tour ranked amongst our... favorite. We were encouraged to ask questions, and if I ever have an opportunity I would take as many tours from them as they offer. Thank you 😊 💙read more
Aoife Leddy
Aoife Leddy
13:56 12 Oct 20
We had a very short time in Barcelona so to make the most of the time we had, we decided to do a walking tour. I'm so glad we chose Runner Bean Tours. We did the Antoni Gaudí tour with Lisa and thoroughly enjoyed it.... Even our children were engaged throughout thanks to Lisa's gift for storytelling and bringing you on a journey with her tour. Given the current climate in Spain with few foreign tourists visiting, we were in a unique position to enjoy an almost private tour in a very quiet city...an experience we will probably never have the opportunity to have ever again. We enjoyed the Gaudí tour so much that we booked the Gothic tour the very next day and were lucky enough to have Lisa as a guide once more. Again, a wonderful tour delivered in an engaging and really entertaining way. Lisa's knowledge of the history of Barcelona shines through and her passion for this wonderful city is absolutely contagious. Highly recommended for the whole family ♥️👌read more
Sophie Nadal
Sophie Nadal
13:46 08 Sep 20
I really appreciated the visit with Ali, who payed attention to us, asking if we add any questions regularly. She loved introducing the city to us and we can feel it, it was a real pleasure. I recommend it !
Elizabeth Skelton
Elizabeth Skelton
14:14 03 Sep 20
We had an awesome time on the Barcelona gothic quarter tour with Miguel! Miguel was an amazing guide. He was full of interesting information, and his passion and love for the city and his job made the tour extra... enjoyable. He also gave us lots of recommendations for places to eat and drink in the city, and even helped us mark them on google maps. He also took some great pictures for us. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend runner bean tours. Thank you Miguel for giving us such an insightful experience!read more
Katie Mckitting
Katie Mckitting
17:06 01 Sep 20
We have done a lot of walking tours all over the world and this was by far our favourite. Miguel was very knowledgeable and funny and made this an enjoyable experience. It is clear that Miguel loves what he does and... made sure that we had fun too. There were only 2 others on the tour with us and he made sure we were safe and distanced and everyone wore their masks to make sure we all felt safe and comfortable. I 100% recommend doing this tour - especially if with Miguel if possible! Gracias for a lovely few hours in Barca!! :)read more
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