The artistic side of Costa Brava

When hearing about Costa Brava, the common tourist will imagine a small paradise on the coast of Barcelona. But Costa Brava is more than great beaches and relaxing landscapes: it was, and still is, the chosen escape for artists from all over the world to reconnect with themselves and with their work.

Why is Costa Brava an Inspiration?

The history books teach us about the great artists that were born or made in Barcelona but, over time, we have learned that Costa Brava was also part to “blame”.

After the Spanish Civil War, Costa Brava started to rise as a tourist attraction mainly for its beaches. But artists discovered that it was more than that and it became a gateway for epiphanies, spiritual cleansing and simply a moment of isolation that would allow them to run away from the city noise and communicate with their work.

Related article: Have a beach day on the Costa Brava

The artistic heritage

It’s no secret that Pablo Picasso was inspired by his hometown. You can always visit the Picasso museum in Barcelona and from there get to know the artist’s life and work, but it was while staying in Costa Brava that, inspired by nature, his painting and sculptures entered the “blue period”. Picasso stayed in Costa Brava for about 9 months until 1899 and then returned to stay for almost 10 years.

Salvador Dalí, has Costa Brava in his blood and the cliffs imprinted in his surrealist art. One of Dali’s goals was to free repressed desires with plastic art, drawing and painting his dream landscapes, which often featured Costa Brava scenarios. Even in his most surreal compositions, we are able to find the cliffs and the lines of the beaches drawn behind the disproportional hands, half bodies and melting clocks.

Another world renowned artist inspired by Costa Brava was Joan Miró. Born in Barcelona, Miró wasn’t a stranger to Costa Brava where he would travel often to clear is mind and create works that would explore the subconscious part of his mind, culminating in the symbolic and methodical process always present in his art.

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