Josep Puig i Cadafalch is a key figure in the history of Catalan art around the turn of the twentieth century, the period that led from Modernisme to Noucentisme. His many architectural works, however, cannot be seen in isolation from his complex personality, as he was not only an architect, but also a town planner, a Catalan nationalist politician, a governor engaged in developing public infrastructure, an archaeologist, an art historian and a promotor of cultural enterprises. Nor should we forget the political importance of his work as president of the Mancomunitat association of municipalities from 1917 to 1923. With its origins in the Generalitat, or autonomous Government of Catalonia, the Mancomunitat was the Catalonia’s first national governing body in the twentieth century.

However, architecture was Puig i Cadafalch’s first profession, and he practised it always in consonance with his multi-faceted interests. In his creative contributions, he aimed to define a unique, modern style in Catalan architecture, one adapted both to the resources available in contemporary construction and to the traditions established by historic styles. He achieved this during his Modernist period, when he gave his buildings a medieval air, often with roots in northern traditions and including features found in languages from in other times and other cultures. As the twentieth century progressed, he gradually assimilated the new philosophy of Noucentisme, adopting classical solutions, particularly from baroque art. Puig i Cadafalch was a moderniser in terms of techniques and construction materials, one who also helped to renew architectural typologies. Above all, however, as Ramon Manent’s camera shows in this exhibition, Puig i Cadafalch masterfully fused artistic resources and craft traditions in his work, creating outstanding expressions of artistic freedom.