'A Taste of Art' AUCTION/STUDIO: 'Where Gaudí, Fortuny and I somehow connected, … thanks to Subirachs'
For those who ever had the chance to visit Museo Carmen Thyssen in Málaga, they know the permanent collection contains works of Mariano Fortuny y Marsal. If you have read some my previous post, you must have noticed I am a fan of the 'Orientalists', of which Fortuny is pretty good example. I'm a fan, for sure.
Will come back to this at the end of the blog….
Two years ago I visited Barcelona. During this trip I not only climb the city's iconic hill Montjuïc where I visited the Fundació Joan Miró, I also visited the Sagrada Familia (including the unique towers and building sites). It was still under construction then, but it was absolutely a unique experience. I recommend it very much. In 2026, it will be 200 years since the start of this masterpiece…
Some weeks ago, a work of art was auctioned entitled "A Fortuny i a Gaudí" by Josep Maria Subirachs intro picture). Initially I was triggered by the naked figure, the very easy recognizable Gaudí sculptures and the architectural work on Barcelona's mountain hills. The link with the architect was obvious, the pale figure however did not ring a bell. Subirachs, the artist, I did not know of either. Later I found out he even had an exhibition "Homenatge a Fortuny i Gaudí" in 1979 and that he apparently saw himself as part of a lineage that included both Fortuny and Gaudí ….
More to discover, but let's go back in time first …
Mariano Fortuny y Marsal - The Painter (1838 – 1874)
Mariano Fortuny y Marsal was one of the most celebrated Spanish painters of the 19th century, renowned for his dazzling technique, luminous colour, and virtuosic detail. Born in Reus, Catalonia, on June 11, 1838, he was orphaned young and raised by his grandfather, a craftsman and sculptor.
Fortuny trained in Barcelona and won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1858, which allowed him to study in Rome. A year later, he was sent to Morocco to document the Spanish–Moroccan War, an experience that shaped his later Orientalist works. His paintings—ranging from Orientalist scenes to historical genre pieces—made him internationally famous, especially in Paris, where collectors avidly sought his work.
Despite his short life, he became the leading Spanish painter of his generation, admired for his fluid brushwork and brilliant handling of light and colour. He died in Rome on November 21, 1874, at just 36.
Gaudí – The Architect and Sagrada Familia's 'godfather' (1852 – 1926)
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Catalan architect and designer, born on 25 June 1852 in Reus or Riudoms, Catalonia. He became the leading figure of Catalan Modernism, developing a radically personal architectural language inspired by nature, geometry, craftsmanship, and deep Catholic spirituality.
Gaudí's major works - including Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, Park Güell, and the Church of Colònia Güell - are celebrated for their organic forms, structural innovation, and symbolic richness. He integrated ceramics, stained glass, wrought iron, and carpentry into unified, sculptural environments.
In his later years, Gaudí devoted himself almost entirely to the Sagrada Família, the monumental basilica that remains unfinished today. He died on 10 June 1926 in Barcelona after being struck by a tram. His legacy reshaped Barcelona and established him as one of the most influential architects in history.
There is no proof, no documentation, letters, memoirs, testimonies suggesting that Gaudí and Fortuny ever met or corresponded. They were both Catalan and both became major figures and contributors to Spanish art.
Subirachs - The modern architect / sculpturer / painter (1927–2014)
Josep Maria Subirachs i Sitjar was a Catalan sculptor, painter, and multidisciplinary artist from Barcelona, known internationally for his bold, angular, modernist style. Born in the working‑class neighbourhood of Poblenou, he grew up during the Spanish Civil War and began working in a gilder's workshop at fourteen, later apprenticing under sculptor Enric Monjo.
Subirachs became one of Spain's most prominent contemporary sculptors, producing works in sculpture, painting, engraving, stage design, and even typography. His most famous and controversial contribution is the Passion Façade of the Sagrada Família, where his stark, expressionist figures stand in deliberate contrast to Gaudí's organic forms. For those
He exhibited widely, received numerous awards, and left a lasting mark on Barcelona's public spaces and cultural identity.
The Orientalists and the tribute by Subirachs
Last week I was looking through a catalogue 'Benjamin-Constant: Marvels and Mirages of Orientalism'. It is an exhibition catalogue that reintroduces the 19th‑century French painter Jean‑Joseph Benjamin‑Constant, a leading figure of Orientalist art. The book explores how his travels in Spain and Morocco inspired vivid scenes of Moorish architecture, courtly spectacle, and imagined Eastern settings. It highlights the tension between authentic observation and studio‑constructed fantasy, showing how his work blended real encounters with Western myths about the "Orient." Richly illustrated and critically framed, the catalogue reassesses his artistic legacy, his mastery of colour and theatrical composition, and the cultural implications of Orientalism in his time.
In the chapter of 'Painting the erotic and exotic oriental feminine in quiescence' the book beautifully addresses the back chambers of harems and their undiscovered inhabitants. It features works of many unknown painters, but also of known ones like Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Édouard Debat-Ponsan, Jean Jules Antoine Lecomte, Benjamin-Constant (off course), Eugène Delacroix, … and . Stumbling upon this by accident, I was flabbergasted to find the real painting of odalisque by Fortuny (pg. 244), which was copied in the work of Subirachs. Including the waterpipe.
I myself indulged into Benjamin-Constant's 'Eastern Dream' (pg. 239) some time ago by replicating this attractive morning glory stretching figure on beautifully draped canape into some abstract work.
I will call it 'The Falling Odalisque Angels' as a tribute to Benjamin-Constant, Subirachs, Fortuny and Gaudí. With this I would like to open up the discussion to introduce a new group of artistic followers: The 'Neo-Orientalists'! Please let me know if you feel like joining in 😊
'The Falling Odalisque Angels' - gouache on paper - Bruno Hoste © 2025
Happy New Year and a wonderful 2026, full of new art experiences and artisitic reflection!
Bruno
References
Art Book 'Benjamin-Constant: Marvels and Mirages of Orientalism, Yale University Press'
Subirachs Wikipedia: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josep_Maria_Subirachs
This blogpost was made with the help of AI.