Hotel Bagués 5* reaffirms its link with the city and modernism through the new art collection "Jewels of Art Nouveau"

27 jewels of Art Nouveau

Jordi Clos presents a collection of 27 vases that capture the essence of the artistic movement of the Art Nouveau period (late 19th and early 20th centuries) in the Museum Room of the Hotel Bagués 5*.

Of these, half are works by the renowned artist Émile Gallé, while the remainder are by other contemporary artists, such as Paul Nicolas d'Argental or Charles Schneider, both of whom trained in the prestigious Gallé or Baum glassmakers' workshops in Nancy, France. Other artists present are from the Saint-Denis factory created by François Theodore Legras (1839-1916), the Arsall factory (Weisswasser, Germany) and La Rochère, the oldest traditional glassworks in Europe. Together, these works are a cultural treasure that adorned the halls of a distinguished noble family in Madrid before being brought together for this unique exhibition.

The diversity and complexity of the technique employed in these pieces is astounding: from meticulous acid etching to tin embossing, to the delicate technique of "marquetry", where artists applied decorative glass elements to the still warm piece. Each work is a testament to the artistic mastery and technical innovation of its creator, reflecting meticulous skill and care in the meticulous skill and care in its production.

Although the works are by different artists, they are all underpinned by two key concepts: nature and an abundance of colour. The vases depict idyllic landscapes with lakes, mountains and forests, as well as animals and above all plants, the artists succeeded in capturing a world of natural beauty in their works.

They found inspiration in the "botanical garden" which Gallé had set up in his own workshop, so that he and the other master craftsmen had at their disposal real models to guide them in their work, so that the characteristic elements of the individual flowers could be perfectly captured in their works. Species identified include orchids, roses, gladioli, queen's earrings, wisteria, poinsettias, clematis, bunches of grapes, thistles, ferns, mistletoe and holly.