L’art gràfic a Barcelona. El llibre il·lustrat 1800-1843

Abstract

The intaglio produced in Barcelona during the first half of the nineteenth century is the objective of this thesis. The study of this artwork has been discussed as a phenomenon linked to the productive activity of the presses, as well as loose prints market, the main demand came from the publishing world to cover the need to illustrate their publications. The study conducted has two areas, a bibliography and analysis, and a more artistic, in catalog. The analysis illustrated book examines the various stages of the publishing industry, from the chronology of 1800-1843, and in which we refer to the authors, printers, producers of the book decorated with prints, and artists. These phases have forced us to analyze part of the editorial and literary at the time, and find the models that were introduced in Barcelona. Broadly speaking these lines converge at the Barcelona publishing of the first half of the nineteenth century was limited to re-edit and copy works carried out by other printers, and in rare cases published original works. The catalog brings together a sampling of illustrations and are the foundation of the analysis of the books published in Barcelona. The relationship between the analysis and the catalog is presented from the press in Barcelona from the first half of the nineteenth century, of which only studies the book decorated with intaglio prints, because we believe that the technique was neglected by the historiography graphic art of this era. The main protagonists are the printers. The Barcelona of the time is a city that lives the turbulent historical events that shake the early nineteenth century, but nevertheless surprised by the vitality of small family printing passing from father to son, and where we will also see how they special importance widows of printers. Some of these houses have meritorious works although we also found that the total volume of publications decorated with prints was minimal, something that after all is not as important as the figures above highlights the enthusiasm and good trade transmitted in each of the published works, as in the case of printing Compañia Jordi, Roca y Gaspar. Or printers with more continuity in time and left a remarkable number of published works, among which the press Brusi, Piferrer, Oliva, Sierra y Martí, Saurí or Bergnes de las Casas. And the new presses that arise late in the thirties and early forties as Oliveres, Estivill, Indar or Verdaguer. In the overall analysis we must not forget the market for printers to respond, as they have a certain clientele and cultural level is limited to knowledge and fashions of the first half of the nineteenth century. The themes of the works far from being reduced show a great diversity which addresses multiple issues. And in these works illustrated with engravings would say that, broadly speaking, are works of literature (novels in installments of European authors translated into Spanish from the French), history books, travel, geography dealing with land distant, technical and scientific books, art, religion books, poetry and medicine.

Date of Award	14 Jun 2012
Original language	Catalan
Supervisor	Buenaventura Bassegoda Hugas (Director)