Opisso in Barcelona
The Catalan illustrator is the talk of the town in Barcelona again with exhibitions in the Hotel Astoria and the new Petritxol Gallery
Barcelona, September 12th 2011 – The artist Opisso has always been strongly linked to the city of Barcelona and this link is now even stronger; the Petritxol Gallery has chosen the artist’s work as the opening exhibition for its new premises with a selection of pieces that completes the permanent collection housed in the Hotel Astoria.
The largest Opisso collection in Spain
The Opisso Museum of Barcelona is to be found in the Hotel Astoria, which hosts the largest collection of works by the Catalan illustrator in Spain. The museum consists of a permanent exhibition of selected works throughout the three main public rooms in the hotel. With over 200 works, this collection lends one of the most classic hotels in the Eixample district of Barcelona its particular character.
The Astoria is a shining example of the Derby Hotels Collection philosophy, which links all of its premises to art and culture. For that reason, this centrally located hotel, which was opened in 1987, houses the Opisso collection on a year-round basis. With an atmosphere reminiscent of a hotel from the Barcelona of the artist’s era, illustrations by Opisso coexist in the Astoria alongside the hotel’s unique elements such as hard wood, the collection of mirrors, frames, and mouldings, marble, the spectacular central staircase, the art deco-style bar, etc. The extensive collection of modernist posters decorating the walls of the hotel’s billiards room is also worthy of note. These are the artist’s works that provide the most authentic reflection of Barcelona in the first half of the 20th century. The most important works include Picasso y Pere Romeo, Picasso, La gran parada, El perro de Don Tarasio and En la cumbre.
In parallel to this permanent collection, to complete the “Opisso itinerary” around Barcelona, the Petritxol Gallery is to host an exhibition in its new premises at 315 Consell de Cent Street. The exhibition will take place from September 22nd to November 2nd.
Opisso in Barcelona
Ricard Opisso (Tarragona, 1880 – Barcelona, 1966) was not only a great watercolour artist at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century; he was also the greatest graphic chronicler of the city of Barcelona. Trained at the Catalan school of caricature artists and between the cities of Barcelona and Paris, he gained extensive popularity thanks to his gift for capturing characters, atmospheres and individual details.
His talent with a paintbrush was already clear during his childhood. He worked with Antoni Gaudí, joined the Els Quatre Gats group of artists, published his drawings in the magazine of the same name and also appeared in renowned publications such as Cu-cut, XutT and TBO. At the height of his career he created book covers, illustrated calendars and designed posters for theatre shows.
The popularity of Opisso’s drawings is due to his excellent observational skills and his ability to capture the everyday reality of the city, which he reflected with a refined sense of humour. His images of crowds are particularly famous, drawings in which he would always manage to bring out intimate moments or absurd or playful details.
His world was a loud, very diverse one that was particularly characteristic of Barcelona of the time, and is perhaps not so far removed from the spirit of the city today.
A private collection owned by Jordi Clos and Derby Hotels
Jordi Clos, a man with a true passion for art and culture, is Chairman of the Derby Hotels Collection Group. He was named promoter and Chairman of the Clos Archaeological Foundation in Barcelona in 1993 and of the Egyptian Museum of Barcelona in 1994.
Jordi Clos considers luxury to be intrinsically linked with art and culture, a concept that he applies to all of his establishments. Every hotel in the Derby Hotels Collection chain has its own special identity according to its history or location, and each one houses a unique collection of antique or contemporary works of art. In this way, he turns the Derby Hotels Collection hotels into miniature museums of great artistic value where visitors might find graphic works from the art nouveau period, pieces from ancient Egypt, African sculptures, modernist gems, contemporary paintings, Indian art, items from the Greco-Roman empire or even pieces from Papua New Guinea.
Hotel Astoria Barcelona (3*)
Derby Hotels Collection
París, 203. Barcelona 08036. Spain
+34 93 209 83 11
