‘Fundació Mapfre’, a new art gallery in Barcelona

Barcelona (CNA).- Barcelona’s art circuit has added a new venue. ‘Fundació Mapfre’, located in the modernist Casa Garriga-Nogués, opened its doors this Thursday with ‘The triumph of colour’ a collection of 72 paintings, from the impressionist masters to the avant-garde painting, lent by Paris’ Musée d’Orsay and the Orangerie. Works from Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin and Matisse, to name a few, will be displayed until the 10th of January. The aim of the new venue is to host a major exhibition at the beginning of each season. “We want to learn and do a programme which matches with the city” stated Fundació Mapfre’s Culture Area Director, Pablo Jiménez Burillo, and added that the opening exhibition is designed especially for the city “as Barcelona is the city of colour”.

“The triumph of colour” can be seen in ‘Fundació Mapfre’ until the 10th of January and entrance is free of charge. The 72 masterpieces displayed are mainly lent by Paris museums Musée d’Orsay and the Orangerie and include works known internationally from masters such as Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin and Matisse.

The exhibition is divided into four main sections. One focuses on the neo-impressionist technique ‘pointillism’ and Michel-Eugène Chebreul’s chemical experiment based on juxtaposing primary colours and letting the human eye mix them. In this section, the work that stands out is Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Portrait de l’artiste’, on loan from the Musée d’Orsay.

Gauguin’s trip to Bretagne and his meeting with Émilie Bernard in 1888 centres the section ‘In the mysterious centre of thought. Gauguin and the Pont-Aven School’.

This group of artists, the Pont-Aven School, were responsible for the avant-garde in Paris at the end of the 19th century and their usage of colours to express moods provides the focus of the third section.

Finally, ‘The free colour’ includes masterpieces from Gauguin’s trips to Tahiti and Matisse masterpieces.

Barcelona, “the city of colour”

Fundació Mapfre’s Culture Area Director, Pablo Jiménez Burillo, explained that the exhibition “has been especially designed for Barcelona” and “won’t be displayed in the same format anywhere else”. ‘Fundació Mapfre’ aims to design a programme which fits with the city and it expects to organise a major exhibition and two 20th century photography retrospectives at the beginning of each season. In this opening season, a collection of works from photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto will follow “The triumph of colour” exhibition.