Architectural innovations

Barcelona 1900 in the Van Gogh Museum

To a large extent the fame that Barcelona enjoys today is due to its dynamic golden age at the close of the 19th century. Young artists such as Pablo Picasso, Isidre Nonell and Ramon Casas made their mark and connected modernism with a passion for social issues in their art. A massive development of the city took place, based on the designs of civil engineer Ildefonso Cerdà. It is one of the most advanced architectural innovations and still an important example for modern architects. In that same period, the fantastic architecture of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner lent Barcelona an entirely new image.

Artistic diversity
The exhibition gives an impression of the city’s artistic diversity and takes the viewer on a tour of Barcelona, from Las Ramblas via Palau de la Música Catalana to Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia. Along the way paintings, drawings and sculpture, in addition to furniture, jewellery and architectural models provide an idea of the tumultuous, amazing development that Barcelona experienced between 1880 and 1909.