The Most Memorable Thing about Barcelona
What is the most memorable thing about Barcelona? Well, it’s the art, of course. The whole city glories in it. Three world famous artists and one exceptional architect called Spain as their home, and so made their mark in the city of Barcelona in the way that only artists can.
An icon of the international art world is Pablo Picasso, who spent his formative years in Barcelona. The city was a great influence on his work— artwork that is thought-provoking and beautiful.
Picasso’s work lingers in the memory of the viewer as does Barcelona itself. In the city, the Picasso fans will be able to walk where Picasso himself stepped, dine where he dined, and see his work displayed in the open, and in the Museu Picasso which is home to an enormous number of his works.
Lesser known, but still able to count himself as skilled, Joan Miró is another of Barcelona’s famous artists. He is considered to be one of last century’s most influential artists.
Working as a painter, a sculptor and in ceramics, Miró, like Picasso, had an impressive number of works in a variety of different styles. These works can be seen at the Joan Miro Foundation, a museum dedicated to his works, in Barcelona.
As impressive and as dramatic as its art is Barcelona’s architecture. Antoni Gaudí created many of the works throughout the city, including the landmark Sagrada Familia. Inspired by eastern influences, Gaudi’s work around Barcelona brings great cultural diversity to the city.
The Lonely Planet calls the Sagrada Familia the most memorable thing about Barcelona, using the famous phrase, “If you only have time for one thing…” Picasso and Dali have left their mark on the city, but seven of Gaudi’s works in Barcelona have been named National Heritage sites by UNESCO making his works stand proud and strong among all the impressive works of art that make Barcelona so memorable.
Salvador Dalí lived in Paris, London and the US, and exhibited all over the world, but he made his home again in Spain in 1949. The Dali Museum is a 90-minute car ride (even faster by bullet train) from Barcelona.
The museum is located in his hometown of Figueres and it holds the greatest collection of Dalí works in the world. His clocks and melting pocket watches are instantly recognizable across cultures and age levels all around the world.
Any city as old as Barcelona and as rich in diversity and heritage can be expected to have art work to call its own, but there are few cities that can boast such astonishing examples.
From painters and sculptors who have changed the world’s perception of art and art styles, to architects who combine many influences to produce works that inspire and astonish, Barcelona has several artworks that will take your breath away, and send you home thinking differently.