Catalan modernismo, a cultural and artistic style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was the Spanish equivalent of the Arts and Crafts movement and Art Nouveau, the
German Werkbund and the Viennese Secession. The common denominator of these movements was the ambition to develop a new concept of beauty based on the creative essence of humankind. This
comprehensive study, containing a wealth of information not previously available in English, focuses on all aspects of modernismo. Insightful essays discuss the geographic focus of
modernismo, Catalonia and its vibrant capital city, Barcelona, and its historical and social context. Architecture was greatly influenced by modernismo, and various practitioners
-- Antoni Gaud簿聶翻, Llu簿聶翻s Dom簿聶翻nech i Montaner, Josep Puig i Cadafalch -- developed personal styles based on patterns inspired by nature. Painting, sculpture, and music were equally affected
by the times, moving away from academicism and toward spontaneous and personal creative impulses. All essays are extensively illustrated with spectacular color photographs, showing
modernismo's most important buildings, such as Gaud簿聶翻's Sagrada Familia and Palau G簿聶翻ell; intricate furniture, stained glass, and jewelry; graphic design, notably periodicals and sheet
music; and a portfolio of paintings.
