Art Nouveau and Deco in Salamanca, Spain. A replacement for cheap mass production.

                                   Front view of Salamanca's Museum of Art Nouveau & Deco Art.

Museum of Art Nouveau & Art Deco in Salamanca, Spain.

 

Tucked away down a cobble stone street I discovered this little gem of a museum housed in an Art Nouveau Mansion.  This new art developed out of a desire to find new possibilities and design solutions inherent in each material towards the end of the 19^th cent .Built by Don Miguel de Lis, a Salamanca merchant the palace seems to be a perfect home for these defining art movements of the late 19^th. and early 20^th cent. The palace boast’s an exhilarating stained glass ceiling in the entrance reception room, a display of colour and movement. Then on the western side of the building overlooking the river another wall of stained glass that has to be seen at dusk to fully appreciate its full beauty.

 

                                                                    Museum ceiling.

The palace like many aspects of life had fallen into disrepair before civic authorities in Salamanca restored it in 1992, creating this unbelievable museum delectated to Art Nouveau and Deco Art movements. Don Manual Ramos Andrade generously donated his collection of these periods decorative masterpieces giving birth to this museum. This gem of a place must be one the must see sights not to be missed by any visitor. It holds a fine collection of Chiparus Preiss and Poertzel bronze and ivory sculptures, along with Hoffmann and many others. The Preiss figurines of carefree dancers of the  music hall period between the wars are well represented. These bronze and ivory sculptures are because of the materials of which they are made are one off art works, bronze castings but hand carved ivory additions. The Romanian artist Demetre Chiparus who settled in Paris produced an extraordinary range of sculptures inspired by the dance performances of Diaghilev’s Russian Ballet Company. These images present a fitting image of the new modern women of the times in her new sense of freedom.

 

In addition to the sculptural collection, the museum contains a defining display of period art glass and porcelains, both figures and functional objects from such workshops studios of Rene Lalique and Emile Galle all add to the museum reputation. This is a collection that Salamanca must be proud of and personally I can’t  speak too highly of it. A visit to which should be a must to any art lover to Salamanca.

I would like to acknowledge the following photos taken from the museum book Chryselephantines

 

                                       One hundred pleats by  Chiparus. bronze, ivory, marble.

                                        Egyptian Dancer by  Chiparus. bronze, ivory, marble.

                                                               Starlight. by Chiparus.

                                               Pierrot by Hoffmann. bronze, ivory, marble.

                                          Chinese Pheasant by Lorenzl. bronze, ivory. onyx.

                                                Flute Player by Press. bronze, ivory, onyx.

                                             The Cigarette by Gory. bronze, ivory, marble.

                                           Knife Dancer by Hoffmann. bronze, ivory marble.