Sagrada Familia: Floral Adornment

When you visit Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudi, it is easy to overlook minor details overwhelmed as you are by the emotional impact of this gigantic masterpiece of universal architecture. When in front of the Nativity Façade, which you can better appreciate sitting on the exterior wall of the premises, take a good look at this floral adornment at one side of the iron gates, notice the elaborate and incredibly realistic contour of the kelp-like metal work. I have to say that this is not the authentic color, of course. Check original picture here.

See Sagrada Familia Floral Adornment Picture on a Google Earth Map

Barcelona Sculpture: David and Goliath

Just in front of Hotel Arts and Torre Mapfre there is this funny sculpture called David and Goliath by Antoni Llena, Barcelona (1942). It is one of the 50 sculptures commissioned to several artists during the Olympic Games in 1992. Antoni Llena was already known because of his work with paper or plaster. As you can see, the face resembles a piece of cut-out paper, in fact it is an aluminum sheet standing on three metal tubes.

See David and Goliath Sculpture on a Google Earth Map

Barcelona Sculptures: A Stroll in Montjuic

If you are an art lover, specially if you appreciate sculptures go for a stroll in Montjuic. You have several ways of access as it is a mountain and statues are scattered all over the place. Today I show you this skinny man obviously an athlete, under the shadow of a tree near Palau de la Mercè and not very far from Palau Sant Jordi. I like the fragile but agile complexion of the body, almost feline emulating the shape of the spires in the background.

See Sculpture near Palau de la Mercè on a Google Earth Map

Gathering Stones at Barcelona Forum

This metal structure sustained with cable tensors and bags of stones as counterweight can be seen next to the new artificial "beach" created in the Forum area and it is my selection for participating in this week's Photo Friday contest. If you feel you have any picture that in a way has to do with something "Full" you may also take part and luckily be selected as noteworthy. Every week you have a different theme, to publish either a new photograph or some other from your archives.

Turning back to the image, it is funny that many of us here in Barcelona have not visited this fantastic place yet. The sights are incredible so I will be showing some more photos soon. To have something in advance you can check this panoramic view with the above structure included or if you prefer to watch the stones from another angle.

See Picture on the Map

Palau de La Mercè: Top of the Hill

Palau de la Mercè with the MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia), is the perfect place to enjoy a panoramic view of Plaza España (red or green subway lines) and the rest of the city. If you take the escalators at the end of the walk from the square to the palace you will meet several statues of classical style which look great against the sky.

Montjuic: Woman and Dome

This sculpture was unveiled during the Olympic Games of Barcelona 1992. Located near the entrance of MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia) in the Palau de la Mercè whose main dome you can see in the background, the woman seems to be the same size as the building. I wanted to confront sculpture and architecture in the same picture,two secular expressions of human creativity that always go hand in hand.

Joan Miro: A Photo in Pastel

Dona i ocell (Woman and Bird), in the Parc de l'Escorxador (literally Slaughterhouse Park), was inaugurated April 16, 1983 and was meant to welcome visitors coming to Barcelona traveling overland. Placed in the same place where the slaughterhouse used to be from 1892 to 1979, it is a combination of phallic and female genital elements, evoking the Roman habit of engraving or carving such images or motifs on the city gates to wish travelers good health and give them strength. The collage of colors against the blue sky reminded me of some aquarel or oil pastel painting so I decided to enhance that by giving the not so beautiful buildings in the back some artistic daubs with a well known image editor. Perhaps you would like to follow this link to Joan Miró

Rambla de Cataluña: Posing Giraffe

This graceful giraffe is called Coqueta (coquettish) and with it you enter Rambla de Cataluña through the mountain side (in Barcelona when you give directions everything is mountain side or sea side). The sculpture was made by Josep Granyer in 1972. At the far end of this long avenue, that is, sea side you will finally meet a bull, a bronze one of course by the same artist. This main artery is a must if you travel to Barcelona because of the sights, the architecture and the great variety of restaurants and shops in the area.