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Throughout its history, Barcelona has maintained a uniqueness like no other. For those with a respect and appreciation for art and culture, Barcelona has it all. Everything about the city radiates individuality and innovation. But one of the most distinctive features of this Mediterranean city is its ability to combine and maintain both traditional and contemporary ideas, making it a melting pot of the past, present, and future.

A street cafe in Catalonia. Photo © Marina Kravchenko - Fotolia.com.

Barcelona’s political identity is as unique as its cultural heritage. Located on the northeastern coast of the Iberian peninsula, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, in both size and population. The city lends its name to one of four provinces that comprise Catalonia, an autonomous region within Spain populated by the Catalans, an ethnically distinct group with their own language. Catalan and Castillian Spanish are the official languages of the region. Although it’s a very old language, Catalan was not official recognized by the government until 1979.

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia , one of 17 autonomous communities in Spain . Catalonia is considered a historic community, giving it wide legislative and executive autonomy. For example, Catalonia is allowed more power over specific governmental functions, such as the ability of regional presidents to choose timing of regional elections and the right to have full-range police forces. The official government of Catalonia consists of a parliament, president, and executive council, along with local governments and smaller forms of municipal administration.

A True Catalan Legend
One of Catalan’s most famous innovators is painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso. Developing new avenues of expression were key to Picasso’s artistic achievements, which left a permanent mark on Barcelona as a focal point for art and culture.

Picasso’s father, himself a painter, played an important role in awakening Picasso’s desire to become an artist. He learned the basics of painting from his father and took up figure drawing and oil painting at an early age. Later, he attended art schools, at which several of them his father taught.

A view of rural Catalonia. Photo © Hugues Argence - Fotolia.com.

Picasso’s major accomplishments throughout his life can be best described in specific stages or periods. His early work as a young teen illustrates his technical capabilities in painting, but as time went on Picasso felt restricted using such a traditional style.

During what is popularly known as his “Blue Period,” Picasso’s work was primarily infused with hues of blue, with paintings depicting rather depressing scenes involving outcasts, beggars, and prostitutes. Many believe that his work created during this period (approximately 1901-1904) was a reflection of his own status in life: Picasso, now in his late teens, was living away from home for the first time in rather poor conditions, and his friend had committed suicide. La Vie, one of the most famous paintings done by Picasso during this period, depicts that friend as one of its subjects. Even though he spent most of this time on painting, Picasso also began to work on sculptures during this period.

Of all the styles that Picasso is famous for, nothing comes close to the innovative style that he helped to create, which was given the name Cubism. Picasso began developing Cubism in 1906, a revolutionary time for his artistic endeavors. Cubism, unlike his “Blue Period” work, was seen in geometrical terms, a style that quickly spread like wildfire throughout the artistic world.

But Picasso took it one step further. In 1910, Picasso moved into a style called Analytical Cubism, in which objects were deconstructed into their components, and some paintings depicted different viewpoints simultaneously using geometric patterns. The idea was to convey an image conceptually rather than perceptually. Later, in a style now identified as Synthetic Cubism, he began to paste actual pieces of oil cloth onto the canvas.

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona houses many of his works. Picasso’s love and appreciation of the city was apparent when he donated all of his early work to the museum in 1970.

Seeing is Believing
Barcelona is home to a vast array of visual arts, boasting some of the most complex examples of architecture to grace the planet. Barcelona owes much of its architectural uniqueness to the ebb and flow of visitors, immigrants, and invaders throughout its long history.

A view of the city of Barcelona. Photo © Jens Hilberger - Fotolia.com.

The grid-like pattern of the city allows for easy accessibility to the city’s wide variety of architectural styles. The architectural makeup of Barcelona begins with Roman remains located in the center of the city, which is surrounded by medieval structures; both architectural styles are surrounded by modern work. Many places within the city contain several types of architecture, adding to Barcelona’s identity as a distinct city that embraces both the past and the present.

One of the first architectural turning points came with the arrival of the Romans, who built walls around the city, creating a nucleus with the center at the Placa de Sant Jaume. As time went on, more and more Roman buildings spread through Barcelona. Roman influence is still apparent, as Placa de Sant Jaume is still considered the heart of the city, with the city hall and government offices located there.

The Medieval period brought about the Gothic Quarter, which today still houses many chapels, churches, houses, and palaces built during this period. Yet at the same time, Barcelona has a contemporary feel to it, with modern architecture many times juxtaposed with the ancient structures. Markets and boutiques, universities and concert halls, and residential communities and industrial parks offer a more modern vibe to the already diverse city.

The combination of traditional and contemporary art, the mixture of different cultures and traditions, and the overall appreciation for innovation and preservation makes Barcelona one of the most important centers of the artistic world.

BACK TO: A 24-Hour Muse.

March/April 2006 • Style: A 24-Hour Muse - Barcelona Designers • Selling: Quiet on the Western Front - A Review of the Tucson Shows • Online Bonus: More on Barcelona • Online Bonus: More on Tucson • In This Issue