Famous Catalan Artists

More than an autonomous community in Spain, Catalonia is the birthplace of several great artists that have left an important legacy. From painters to architects and sculptors, here are some of the names of the people who have created world-famous works that visitors come to see every year in Barcelona.

Antoni Gaudí

Born on the 25th of June of 1878, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet is known worldwide as the most famous name in the Catalan modernist movement. Influenced by nature and religion, Gaudí created some of the most visited touristic sites in Barcelona such as Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà/La Pedrera, and Park Güell. His works were created using such unique and innovate techniques and producing such stunning visual results that many of them have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Sagrada Familia is located at Carrer de Mallorca, 401, in the neighborhood of the same name. Casa Batlló is located at Passeig de Gràcia, 43 and Casa Milà/La Pedrera is located at Carrer de Provença, 261-265, both in the district of Eixample, only a couple of minutes away from each other. Park Güell is located at Carrer d’Olot in the district of Gràcia.

Related article: The old and the new: Barcelona’s most stunning architecture

Salvador Dalí

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech was born in Figueres on May 11th, 1904. Not only famous in Spain, Salvador Dalí is one of the most well-known artists in the world. This Surrealist painter has created such famous works as The Persistency of Memory (1931), Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening (1944), and Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937). The artist also created sculptures such as Lobster Phone (1936) and Mae West Lips Sofa (1937) and collaborated with Luis Buñuel in the creation of the film Un Chien Andalou (1929).

You can learn more about the artist and see more of his work at Teatro-Museu Dalí at Plaça Gala I Salvador Dalí, 5. You can also visit the Castle of Púbol, Dalí’s former house at Gala Dali, in Puból, and the Portlligat Museum-House, in Platja Portlligat in Cadaques, Girona, where the artist lived and worked for a period, and which is now a museum.

Lluís Domènech i Montaner

Lluis Domènech i Montaner was born on December 21^st, 1850 in Barcelona. This Spanish architect is famous for his many contributions to the Catalan modernist movement, having designed famous buildings such as Casa Fuster, now a fancy hotel in the city, Casa Lleó Morera, which was once open to the public but now can only be visited online, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, one of the most mesmerizing constructions in the city, Palau de la Música Catalana, a respected music hall originally created for the Orfeó Català, and the Castell dels Tres Dragons in the beautiful Parc de la Ciutadella.

Both Casa Fuster and Casa Lleó Morera are located in Passeig de Gràcia, the first one at number 132, and the second one at number 35, in the district of Eixample. Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is located at Carrer de Sant Quintí, 118, in El Guinardó neighborhood. Palau de la Música Catalana is located at Carrer Palau de la Música, 4-6, and the Castell dels Tres Dragons is located at Passeig Picasso, 5, both of them in the Ciutat Vella district.

Related article: Top artist’s museums in Barcelona

Joan Miró

Joan Miró i Ferrera was born on April 20th, 1893 in Barcelona. He was a famous painter, sculptor, and ceramicist, considered as one of the greatest names in Surrealism. The artist, who lived in one of Barcelona’s oldest neighborhoods, Barrio Gótico, created numerous pieces such as The Farm (1921), Dog Barking at the Moon (1926), Dona I Ocell (1982), and Moon Bird (1966). Miró‘s work was not well received at first, when he showcased it in Spain, which made him move to France, where, influenced by the cubist and surrealist movements, he started creating his masterpieces, eventually achieving great fame.

You can learn more about the artist and see more of his work at Fundació Joan Miró, at Carrer de Montjuïc del Carme in the Montjuïc hill.

Antoni Tàpies

Born on the 13^th of December of 1923, Antoni Tàpies i Puig was one of the most important artists in twentieth-century Spain. A painter, sculptor and art theorist, Tàpies received several honors and awards, such as the Golden Medal from the Generalidad de Cataluña and the Picasso Medal from UNESCO. Some of the artist’s most famous works include Blanco con signo rojizo (1963), Gran pintura gris (1955), and Blanco con manchas rojas (1954).

You can learn more about the artist and see more of his work at Fundació Antoni Tàpies, at Carrer d’Aragó, 255 in the district of Eixample.

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* Main photo by Ramon Casas via Wikimedia Commons