Barcelona photos: Daily photographs of Barcelona, Spain. Pictures of a modern city with travel tips in a personal photoblog. A photography and travel site. Art, architecture, people and traditions. Travel to Barcelona through my camera, know more about our city and towns nearby. Welcome!
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March 22, 2007
Flower Stock Photography
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La Rambla again, I am standing in front of the flower stalls. I have always loved flowers but since I carry my Nikon and have a knack for photography I am even more fascinated by flashy colors, hues, nuances, palettes. I am fond of those with dark violet tones and the way they seem to absorb light into the flower (some kind of optical illusion I guess). In this shot even though I cropped a little I was not able to isolate one or two subjects to stand out from the background as would be recommended, although I still like the colors. I think at least it will grow my flower stock photography. Did you notice that a lot of photography fields and webs carry the word "stock"? Are you aware of well known sites such as Corbis, Istockphoto or Fotosearch hosting huge databases of images submitted by photographers. In some cases the process is fully professional and photography friendly but in many, marketing interests prevail. How many times have you uploaded a picture that meets all requirements and it has been shunned because it doesn't apply to the needs of clients. A family picture ends up looking like a TV ad and the picture of any object looks all of a sudden surgically aseptic. Now you understand what I meant by "my" flower stock photography.
March 21, 2007
Human Statues at La Rambla: Hypnotic Cleopatra
March 20, 2007
Reflections on Golden Pond: L'Estany d'Ivars
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This is L'Estany d'Ivars. Created about a hundred and fifty years ago it was dried in 1951 to cultivate the land. Now it is to become one of the largest lakes in Catalonia and a natural park specially rich in migrating species of birds that are returning to their natural habitat. As to this sunset picture, I just have to suggest you try to look it horizontally too. It resembles some kind of root or a gigantic caterpillar, with some imagination of course.
March 19, 2007
Human Statues at La Rambla: Captain
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This serious captain rang the bell and steered the wheel at the beat of the coins falling on his can. With a stern look and full of tar he was chasing his own white whale accompanied by the chant of syrens in his ipod.
Recommended Site: Fabulous Quicktime VR 360 degree panorama of Mars surface.
March 18, 2007
Flowers Against the Sky
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Just another bunch of flowers to entertain the new week and administer the daily dose of energy to those friends living in cold weather countries. They have announced a drop in temperatures in Barcelona but I don't think it lasts too long after the good spring days we have enjoyed recently.
March 17, 2007
Ronaldinho Wears a Smile
March 16, 2007
The Musings of an Escargot
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"Where did everybody go?" - wondered the anguished snail. "Something is cooking around here?." It must be terrible to wake up from the winter lethargy to find yourself in a big pan full of salt and no one else on sight. Well, in fact the rest was there too but very busy bubbling salt away. After shooting the poor creature with my camera and watch it go on the way to the fire, I sat and had my lamb chops silently contemplating the rest of participants in this sort of pagan ritual, compulsory introduce their toothpicks to withdraw the snails from the shell. They were having what is known in Catalan as Cargols a la Llauna (something like "roasted snails"), a traditional dish, mainly in spring, in the open, although served in restaurants too. In France it is common and highly appreciated, in many ways, which gives the snail a high cuisine category and price in the menu. They call it Escargot, a word coming from Catalan, and exported the dish to the USA in the XIX century. There are snail feeding farms and the most common to consume are the brown garden snails (Helix aspersa) or the Roman Snails (Helix pomatia). There is evidence that snails were roasted already in Roman times so there's no need to claim any autorship here. I never had a knack for slimy and crawling things but it is fun to see my friends laugh and enjoy the food. I really had a nice pre-spring weekend. Check 58 recipes for Escargots (FR.)
Note: Cargols a la Llauna is a dish original from Lleida, Catalonia.
Recommended link of the day: A Color Picker.
March 15, 2007
Begging in Downtown Barcelona
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Not all is comfort and hedonism in Barcelona, there is also a dark, submerged world that pops out here and there gaining momentum with globalization and precarity. On my way from Las Ramblas to Plaça Catalunya I came across this beggar. It called my attention that she (maybe he) was wearing a hood and an empty sleeve was showing where the arm was supposed to be. On a second glance you could guess the shape of an arm folded under the jacket. I can't swear it was a fake cause I had my doubts but I couldn't help thinking on the growing number of professional beggars spreading in downtown Barcelona and the fierce competition they suppose to the real needed people.
Read here about warnings given by tourists about dangers in Barcelona. There is a letter that clearly illustrates typical professional beggar tricks.
March 14, 2007
Hotel Montecarlo at La Rambla, Barcelona
March 13, 2007
Flower Bouquet at La Rambla dels Flors
Colorful Flower Bouquet at La Rambla dels Flors - Barcelona |
Not faraway from the animal stalls in my previous post we come across Rambla dels Flors or Rambla de Sant Josep.
Spring is coming and there is a sudden outburst of colors chiefly in the mornings when flowers are still fresh and flashy. The sound of birds and the exuberant plants on both sides of the promenade make strolling down Las Ramblas quite a pleasant experience, but as I said, in the early hours when the streets are less crowded.
The combination of flowers in this bouquet really caught my attention. I don't do wedding photography but the bride would surely look spectacular holding one of these.
March 12, 2007
Exotic animals at La Rambla: Iguana
March 11, 2007
FC Barcelona - Real Madrid Fever At Las Ramblas, Barcelona
March 10, 2007
The Pillars of Catalan Art Nouveau or Modernisme, Palau de la Musica, Barcelona
In times of industrial expansion, growth of the local bourgeoisie and increasing opposition to Castilian rule a movement of artistic revival or Renaixença comes to life.
An intellectual and cultural development expressed in music, poetry, theatre, newspapers, visual arts, politics or architecture known as modernisme appears.
This sort of "anxiety" about being modern, inspired by France and other European cultural powers, became a generational fight to detach from the conservative society still anchored in the imposed manners of the early eighteenth century Bourbon dynasty.
If you manage to climb on top of the neighboring buildings and take a good picture just let me know how you did it!
March 09, 2007
Juicy Barcelona
March 08, 2007
Bush in Flames
March 07, 2007
Iberians: On the Track of my Ancestors
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What do you see? An intense blue, some tiny trees and stones, silent stones. How old can these stones be?...Here I am leaning on a crumbling wall and pointing with my camera at the horizon pretending in vain to see the same my ancestors saw from this very spot at some other time. Maybe, who knows, they were fearing that invaders showed up at any moment behind those walls. My body, a microoscopic drop of water in this weird universe is standing right now in Pre-Roman "Spain". I am touching the foundations of an Iberian town buried here for hundreths of years. These rocks have witnessed so many things!...if only they could tell me. A complete village surrounded by two defensive walls in the middle of a vast valley in the Catalan province of Lleida or Lltirta in early Iberian times. The exact place: El Molà d'EspÃgol (Tornabous, Lleida)
March 06, 2007
Monument to the Martyrs of 1809
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This is the Monument to the Martyrs of 1809, at Garriga i Bachs Square in the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) of Barcelona. It honors the memory of men executed during Napoleonic occupation (see Napoleonic Wars). The bronze sculpture was made by Josep Llimona and the wall relief by Vicenç Navarro in 1941.
PS: By the way I hope FC Barcelona players don't look as dead and cold as these statues when they visit Liverpool tonight to stay in the Champions League tournament.
March 05, 2007
Almond Tree Flowers in the Early Spring
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To start the new week a refreshing image of the fast upcoming spring: an almond tree as taken yesterday somewhere in Catalonia. Notice that the flowers are not mere blossoms but they are fully grown. It has been a spring day, a hot spring day in fact as I had to wear a T-shirt for a while. I hope these almond tree flowers give those of you enduring a bad weather something to dream on in the meantime. Hey, this is intended to make you happy not to make anybody feel envious!
March 04, 2007
Lichen on An Ancient Rock
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This lichen was growing on an ancient rock. Of course you can't tell how old the stone is but it is very old as it is part of the foundations of an Iberian town. The Iberians were living in this part of Europe long before the Romans came to "civilize" them. I will show you the ruins some time this week. For the moment, I just wanted to share the texture with you.
March 03, 2007
Sardana Player Blowing the Horn in Barri Gotic, Barcelona
March 02, 2007
Sardana Dancers in Front of Barcelona Cathedral
March 01, 2007
Barri Gotic, Barcelona: Street Musicians Paradise?
February 28, 2007
Barcelona Restaurants: Delicate Desserts at Escriba's
Raspberry Tartelette |
I didn't know whether to photograph this delicate dessert at Escribá's, the famous restaurant by the beach in Barcelona, or devour it mercilessly. I think I will keep it somewhere safe in my digital photo album just in case someone needs this tart picture for the dessert menu.
Being in front of the sea in the afternoon, having a good paella and picking up the most tempting dessert from an assorted selection on a tray is like mana from the gods.
February 27, 2007
Catalan Modernisme: Ceiling at Sant Pau Hospital, Barcelona
February 26, 2007
Sitting by the Sea: Take your Turn
February 25, 2007
Social Distortion
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History repeating itself, deja vu, retro? Fashion comes and goes and the clothes of the fathers are now the "innest" stuff for the sons. Did that make us social distorted too then? Who is behind this design? A drinking skeleton, is that what they should become or are they referring to the state parents are in now after going on too many boozing sprees? Too many questions I know but I have been always intrigued by fashion and youngsters' striving for being completely distorted...hmmm, what a wonderful times we had!
Update: People portrayed in this picture has nothing to do with what is expressed as my own personal opinion in this article. This post has provoked different reactions, possibly because I am no expert as you can see in this matter. I was only referring to youth and fashion. In order to avoid misinterpretation and some wild opinions clearly out of place, comments will remain closed and those already accepted hidden. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause to visitors or any people implied.
February 24, 2007
Spanish Souvenirs in Barcelona: A Canned Stereotype
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Of course a souvenir shop always tries to sell stereotyped products of the country or the city as this is precisely what tourists are prone to buy, unaware of other traits that you normally discover after a second or third visit. Spain is a multicolor, multilanguage, multiethnic and multi-everything nation and what is good for some parts of it is not applicable to the rest. It is a common cliché to think that we are all matadors, go around saying "ole" (we do but watching soccer matches) and dance flamenco in our spare time. Of course there are people for each and every ingredient in this melting pot, but remember not to mingle them no matter how idyllic it may look.
February 23, 2007
Absinthe Tête - à - Tête
Absinthe and its Relationship with Artists
Absinthe is a highly alcoholic distilled spirit that has been associated with many notable artists and writers over the years. With an anise-flavored bitterness and purported psychedelic effects, absinthe has developed a reputation as a mysterious, dangerous, and addictive drink linked to creativity.
The Origins of Absinthe
Absinthe originated in Switzerland in the late 18th century. It is derived from botanicals including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium ("grand wormwood"), green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal herbs. The ingredient wormwood contains thujone, which was believed to be responsible for absinthe's purported effects. Modern scientific analysis has shown the thujone levels in authentic absinthe to be far lower than early estimates and unlikely to cause hallucinations. Nonetheless, the mystique and air of taboo created by these unfounded controversies contributed to absinthe's reputation as an intoxicant for artists and writers.
In the 19th century, absinthe grew in popularity and became ingrained in café culture in France. It was nicknamed "la fée verte" (the green fairy) and often featured in Impressionist paintings. Absinthe's high alcohol content (45–74% ABV) and role as an inexpensive recreational drink contributed to its popularity among young bohemian artists and writers in the late 1800s.
Controversy and Bans
At the turn of the 20th century, absinthe became controversial and was blamed for psychiatry issues, criminal behavior, and corrupting youth. Critics pointed to its frequent consumption by creative misfits as evidence of its potential dangers. The powerful wine industry also spread concerns about absinthe to help curb competition. This led to bans in many European countries starting in the early 1900s.
As mentioned above, Thujone was thought to cause psychedelic effects and was cited as the reason for absinthe's hazards. However, modern analysis shows thujone levels were too low to cause such effects.
Relationship with Artists and Writers
Many influential creative figures of the late 19th and early 20th century in France consumed absinthe, adding to its cultural mystique. Prominent artists like Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso depicted absinthe in their works, often focusing on its relationship to bohemian café society. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec famously drank absinthe daily and it served as inspiration for his Postimpressionist paintings of café interiors.
Noted absinthe drinkers among the literary set included Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, and Ernest Hemingway, who drank it daily while writing in Paris. Many are the paintings that make reference to absinthe. This association of absinthe with avant-garde writers and artists enhanced its perception as a creative elixir.
While many artists openly used absinthe, letting it influence their works, experts today dispute the notion that it has psychedelic properties inspiring unconventional thinking. The effects were likely stupefying rather than mind-opening. However, the aura of illicitness gave absinthe an alluring reputation for writers and artists going against the grain creatively.
Modern Revival and Consumption
Starting in the 1990s, revised EU laws led to a resurgence of absinthe as studies showed it was no more dangerous than other spirits. Traditional distilling methods revived, leading bars and distilleries to sell premium, authentic absinthe. The drink became popular once more, especially among creative communities drawn to its legacy.
Contemporary absintheurs have moved away from the bohemian excesses of the past. While absinthe retains its aura of creativity and decadence, devotees today focus more on savoring its flavors. In parts of France and Switzerland, absinthe rituals include dripping ice water over a sugar cube atop a slotted spoon into the spirit. This gradually dilutes and brings out complex herbal tastes.
Legacy in Art and Culture
Regardless of absinthe's actual effects, its green fairy mystique endures as a symbol of creativity, danger, and early counter-culture. The impassioned artists who embraced it continue to fuel absinthe's cultural legacy. For instance, the play "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" fictionalizes Picasso and Einstein meeting in a Parisian absinthe bar in 1904, discussing genius and creativity.
References to absinthe persist in popular culture today, from movies like Moulin Rouge to paintings, songs, and literature. While regulated and safely consumed now, absinthe's aura of unconventionality pioneered by 19th century artists maintains its allure today. The drink's rich history ensures it endures as a creative muse inspiring continued fascination and works of art.
February 22, 2007
Francesc Cambó Monument in Via Layetana, Barcelona
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Today I show you the statue of Francesc Cambó by Victor Ochoa (1997). Cambó was the founder of La Caixa, one of the most powerful banks in Spain. The monument is just in front of the savings bank headquarters in Via Layetana, a 1917 building by Enric Sagnier. I have found this page called Barcelona Virtual with a pano of the little square and some other interesting 3D tours. It is just another sculpture but I liked the way the omnipresent pigeon added proportions to the statue in absence of other references in the image.
February 21, 2007
Modernist Letterbox at Casa de L'Ardiaca, Barri Gotic
Letterbox, Casa de L'Arcadia, Barri Gotic, Barcelona |
Off we go in an imaginary trip along the streets of Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter).
You are facing Barcelona Cathedral, climb the stairs and turn right on a narrow street called Santa Llúcia.
Suddenly you are right in front of Casa de l’Ardiaca, the Archdeacon's house. The building where the Municipal History Archives are since 1921, is made of two houses, being the other the Deacon's house or Casa Degá.
The first buildings date back from the XII century and were remodeled into a palace by Lluis Desplà , the Archdeacon, in 1520.
As a curiosity we should say that it was built against the Roman wall which you can see from the ground floor and that the interior patio lodges the famous fountain (used for Eucharist) with the floating egg known as l'Ou com balla in Catalan. On the façade of the Flamboyant Gothic palace we can admire this marble letterbox created by the Modernista architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner commissioned to decorate the building in 1902.
February 20, 2007
Barcelona Cathedral: Stained Glass Window
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This is one of the stained glass windows that can be admired inside the Barcelona Cathedral or Cathedral of Santa Eulà lia which I will resume soon with a more representative image and some historical background. In the meantime take a look at this appetizer, a little noisy perhaps, but with some intense colors.
February 19, 2007
A Mouse-Like Zebra Costume
February 18, 2007
Carnival Masks in Barcelona
Saturday was raining cats and dogs so I decided not to go to the Carnival parade. Today we went for a walk downtown and still could see costumes here and there or take shots of beautiful masks like these displayed in a shop in the Gothic Quarter or Barri Gotic. I took some more pictures in the area, not related to today's topic, which I will show you soon.
More about Carnival in Barcelona
February 17, 2007
Barcelona Carnival 2007: Feather Mask
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Carnival 2007 is on, today there will be a parade or Rua de Carnaval departing at 20:30 from carrer Gran de Grà cia/Plaça de Lesseps up to Als Jardinetes de Grà cia. There will be other parades but this will be the biggest. Schools like every year in Barcelona, organized their own carnestoltes where the strangest costumes could be seen. I took two scores of photographs of kids in assorted outfits but I was not expecting the cherry on top at the very end of yesterday's party, in my daughter's schoolyard. Mysteriouly and seductively, out of the blue, showed up this woman wearing an attractive smile behind an exuberant feather mask, like an illustrious lady travelling incognito on a secret affair during a Venetian Masquerade.
February 16, 2007
Stairway to Catalan Art Nouveau
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If you look up under "palau" or "modernisme" blogger labels at the bottom of this post you will find information about famous Barcelona's Concert Hall i.e Palau de la Musica Catalana. You can find stunning samples of Catalan Art Nouveau or Modernisme in this building although you are not allowed to take pictures and show your friends. Maybe that's why my picture got a little blurry and I had to reinvent it a little bit to make worth (is it?).
February 15, 2007
Barcelona Beach: RACC Helicopter
During past Pirena 2007 dog show on the beaches of Barcelona I spotted this RACC helicopter. It called my attention that some fishermen were there already and didn't seem to be scared, in fact I thought it was risky for them. Given that you don't see copters landing on piers that often I took the snap and voilà . RACC stands for Real Automóvil Club de Catalunya, an association with more than a million affiliates, in fact it is the first insurance company in the car business in Spain. It is also related with the travel sector and widely known for organizing sports events such as rallies. I would like to talk about photography now, about the rule of thirds. Although obvious for many, we tend to forget it sometimes. It consists of tracing two sets of intersecting lines so we get a square in the middle of our image (some cameras have a grid). The subject should be in one of the corners of such box for emphasis. Another thing to bear in mind is the horizon line which can be aligned more or less with the top or the bottom of the square whether you want to highlight the upper part or the bottom of the image. Maybe I should have lower the camera a little bit!
February 14, 2007
Reflected on the Apple of my Eye
First of all Happy St. Valentine! to all lovers in the world. It would be interesting to know which cities in our Daily photo group do not celebrate this day, if any!. Today I resume the reflections topic but this time on people eyes. Who better than the apple of my eye, my other love, my daughter Sara. Here is a closeup of hers by the beach in La Barceloneta.
February 13, 2007
Barcelona Mountains: An Electrifying City Landscape
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Three, a magical odd number. The three primary colors, The Holy Trinity, The Three Graces, Heaven, Hell and Limbo, The Three Stooges...can you think of any other?. Here is another rather ackward example, three power towers invading, polluting, contaminating the view over beautiful Barcelona. Why make it three and not two? Why not make it null, void, zero instead?.
February 12, 2007
Reflections in Heron City Barcelona
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As I am sure there are some reflection fans among you I leave you with this glass panels in Heron City Barcelona. The leisure resort has been dealt with before in Barcelona Photoblog so please check Google labels for more information. I encourage everyone once again to participate in the AbsoluteLomo contest (rules in previous post this month) as I am extending deadlines two more weeks. Send any lomo pictures you have, old or new, to the Absolutelomo gallery and send me the link.
February 11, 2007
Ferrer i Guardia Monument in Montjuic
February 10, 2007
Barcelona Skyline: Magic Fountains of Montjuic
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This is what you can see from the top of the stairs, just next to the entrance to MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia). You don't see it but I am surrounded by tourists at the moment as this is a must see spot in Barcelona. The nearest underground station is Plaza Espanya named after the square right behind those two brick color towers. They act as the entrance to Barcelona Fair made up of a series of venues on both sides of the central walk. It was on this vast area where famous Barcelona International Exhibition took place in 1929. On the right hand side where the big red poster is, you see old Las Arenas bull ring undergoing a profound transformation into a top design leisure center. Notice the big cranes? A big cupola must go on top after they raised the whole coliseum above the ground with enormous jacks and metalic props!. In the foreground, the Magic Fountains of Montjuic, usually as dry as the Sahara desert but totally illuminated in September during the celebrations in honor of the patroness of the city, La Mercé. Check this Youtube video of Montjuic Magic Fountains too! Click on my Montjuic blogger label below to find out more about interesting places nearby. Nice weekend! Bon Weekend! Schönest wochenende!
February 09, 2007
Barcelona Cultural Heritage Vandalized
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In yesterday's post I advanced the news published in El Periódico de Catalunya about the criminal acts against Barcelona's cultural heritage. I am talking about the important damage inflicted on one of the main symbols of Gaudi's legacy: The Lizard or Dragon fountain in Park Güell. There are larger pictures in this article via 20Minutos newspaper to compare with this snapshot from my archives. What are we going to show our kids? What goes wrong with society to breed such monsters? Do you think hitting with an iron bar on a beautiful thing is human?. This is not a mere incident, this is a consequence of our own mistakes. Shall we burn that hooligan in hell or shall we teach this kid before it is too late?
February 08, 2007
Barcelona Psychedelic Garden
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This jazzy yellow flower deserved some tweaking in Photoshop so why not give it a psychedelic mood to make it more artistic. As usual I need help to know the name of this specimen but the most important thing is its intrinsic beauty. I must confess that my fascination for photography is growing rapidly and every picture is taking me more and more time but I enjoy the process of creation like a child with a new box of color pencils and a white wall. Of course some people would have preferred the flower as such but then it would be just a static report of reality.
Recommended: An essay called Just say 'Yes' by Alain Briot, the famous landscape photographer whose tutorials I recommended here before. The author analyzes typical questions photographers have to hear often, such as “Do you manipulate your photographs?” or “Do you change the colors?” "Is this real?". For French readers I recommend his excellent site about high res photography Gallerie-Photo.
Latest News: Last Tuesday night, famous lizard fountain by Antoni Gaudi at the entrance of Parc Güell was destroyed by three vandals according to reports published today in El Periódico de Catalunya.
February 07, 2007
Carnival 2007 is Around the Corner
February 06, 2007
Estrella Damm, Damm Good Catalan Beer
February 05, 2007
Catalan Romanesque: Wood Carving
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The Virgin with Child, a wood carving quite common in old churches around Catalonia like the one I visited this weekend in Gualba de Dalt about 30 or 40 minutes away from Barcelona city by car. To learn more about Catalan Romanesque, visit the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC). The quality of the image is not good but I like it. The hieratic figures, the roses that look like brush strokes and the light give the image a special mood (in my opinion of course).
February 04, 2007
Pieta in Gualba de Dalt, Barcelona Province
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Better to publish late than not to publish at all. This is what is known as a Pietà , that is, the Virgin holding the dead body of Christ. It is located in the romanesque church of a town called Gualba de Dalt in the province of Barcelona. Gualba is part of the Natural Park of Montseny.
February 03, 2007
Catalan Modernisme: Lamp at Palau de la Música
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I am going to be brief today, it is Saturday and we have to enjoy the real world! Just in case you can't quit the habit I leave you this lamp, an elaborate example of Catalan Art Nouveau or Modernisme hanging inside our famous concert hall Palau de la Musica. Although beautiful as such, I thought it was better to use some tone mapping with an HDR program and thus enhance the design in the ceiling, the glass, the wood and of course the lamp. Have a nice weekend!
February 02, 2007
Catalan Architecture: Balcony at Plaza Catalunya
Here is a detail of the Casa Bosch Alsina balcony at the intersection of Rambla de Catalunya and Ronda Universitat (Plaza Catalunya 8), just next to H10 Catalunya Plaza Hotel. To get a better idea see Casa Bosch Alsina balcony in Google maps street view.