On the corner of Calle del Carmen and Rambla in Barcelona is located an architectural jewel from the mid-19th century, which housed the Bagués-Masriera jewelry workshop for 62 years, who were the most important modernist jewelers of the bourgeoisie. Catalan of the time. The building was listed as a historical monument of the city and currently houses a luxury hotel from the Derby Hotels chain, owned by Jordi Clos, who among his hobbies is being a great art collector who exhibits in his hotels. There are more than 5,000 pieces that range from pre-Columbian art to contemporary art.
The Bagués hotel was designed as a tribute to modernist Barcelona, in the words of Clos himself: “Out of respect for what this building had been, we brought the art nouveau style to the 21st century, not only in the furniture, but also in the finishes.” ”.
Both the project and the decoration are a reinterpretation of the current art nouveau in its English and Scottish tendency, classified as Liberty. The interior design includes fluid curves, floral motifs and an abundance of details inspired by nature, such as fossil marble floors made from mangroves, a spiral staircase with a hand-crafted forged latticework that runs along the entire staircase, and the spectacular Venetian glass lamps that dominate the lobby designed by Mariano Fortuny.
In its 30 rooms you can see decorative pieces from the Masriera collection that turn them into a small private museum. Although there is also a public space located on the first floor where, for 14 years, a selection of jewelry and decorative objects by Lluís Masriera have been displayed, which have finally been returned to their owners, and replaced by a new glass collection formed for 27 vases from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Little modernist gems in themselves, half of which belong to French artist Émile Gallé.
“All the large international museums that have a section on modernism have pieces by Gallé,” says Clos, and adds: “the opportunity arose at an auction of a noble family, whose name I have not been able to find out, in Madrid. . It is not common, normally it is a single piece that someone decides to sell, but not an entire collection. It was exciting, I wanted to get the whole set, so those who went to buy were disappointed, I didn't give them a chance."
Émile Gallé (Nancy, 1846-1904), was a French glassmaker and furniture maker, “a rare character in history who studied botany, chemistry, ceramics and cabinetmaking, and who after traveling around the world returned to his origins, to his parents’ ceramic factory.” Gallé is the greatest representative of French modernism and was known for his use of the multi-layer cameo technique, with different ranges of reds and browns that he carved in hydrofluoric acid. As a result, these delicate and elegant pieces are displayed.
The museum also has works by other artists contemporary with Gallé, purchased from antique dealers. The set stands out for its rich color and the use of motifs inspired by nature: idyllic landscapes with lakes, mountains and forests, as well as animals and especially plants. The collection is open to the public punctually and free of charge. But those who are interested can take advantage of the Sant Jordi celebration to see the exhibition and another jewel of the hotel, the one on the 7th floor, the terrace. Small and charming, it is an oasis on the Rambla, a good place from which to obtain a 360º panoramic view of the Gothic quarter, from the magnificent Belén church to the imposing cathedral, and of course, the great avenue of the Rambla.
