Quiz+2

 ** Spanish Modernism in Europe ** The movement was born in 1890 as a reaction to the main artistic and historic currents of the nineteenth century in architecture and decoration and as a reaction towards the rational thought of the beginning of the industrial era. It lasted until the beginning of the twentieth century and it affected most countries in Europe. It was called by different names according to each country: // Art Nouveu // in France, // Modern Style // in Great Britain//, Jugendstil // in Germay, // Sezessionstil //in Austria// , Floreale //or // Liberty //style in Italy and // Estilo Modernista // in Spain. The growing importance of machinery was interpreted by modernists as a threat to the artist’s creativity. For this reason the Cult to authenticity, intended as a bond with nature, also the artisans labour and the art just for art. Contrary to Realism its most typical style slogan is the curved and assimetric line tending to figurative elements such as (swans, ribbons, flowers, women’s hair, etc.) Only in Spain and Belgium the movement was extended to architecture and other arts. In the other countries it remained a new decoration style most significant in minor arts and objects. In Spain Modernism was particularly influential in Catalan architecture developed by J. Martorell y L. Domènech i Montaner (students of New Medievalist E. Rogent) which combined middle aged oriental, a colourful architecture, and the more progresist use of naked iron (as a result of industrial revolution whereas before it was preferred to be kept hidden) by J. Puig i Cadafalch. The most famous was A. Gaudí for his personal and organic-shaped buildings. In the city of Valencia the “Mercado de Colón ” (1914-1916) by Francisco Mora, and the “Estacion del Norte” (1906-1917) by Demetrio Ribes stand out. Also the Central Market, the Ortega house, Appartment 13, and the Peris House are very important. The central Market of Valencia was buit by the arabs in the area in the area around the principal mosque, in a labyrinth of streets and small squares. The market was built back in the times of “Pere el Ceremoniós” in a time of city expansion. For this reason he ordered to have new city walls built. The market was strategically located between the old and new city walls connecting an opening to the old section of the city. A convent was demolished for its contruction and the market was adapted to the irregular space located located under free porticoes, brought out from behind a main façade. The idea to build this market goes back to 1881 born from the need to lodge the growing quantity of merchants. In its time, it was the biggest market in Spain and one of the best from Europe, not in vain its budget was quite high, of nine millions of pesetas of the time. For this reason, the Central Market is, without a doubt, the most representative building of Valencia Modernism. It represents a city surrounded by vegetable gardens that feeds of its products, and of a bourgeoisie that sponsored it because it symbolized the wealth and the prosperity of its earth. Contrary to functional rationalism, the extravagant phenomenon of Modernism nurtured and inspired other future movements of the twentieth century such us Surrealism.