Els Quatre Gats

Els Quatre Gats (Catalan, German "The Four Cats" ) was 1897-1903 a café and cabaret in Barcelona, Spain. It was known by visiting various Spanish and Catalan artists such as Pablo Picasso and Isidre Nonell.

History

Els Quatre Gats was founded on 12 June 1897 as a café, brasserie and cabaret by Pere Romeu. It is located on the ground floor of the designed by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch Art Nouveau house Casa Martí in the center of Barcelona, ​​on Carrer de Montsio.

The artist Ramon Casas funded in large part the company. The name is derived from the artists' café Le Chat Noir ( " The Black Cat " ) in Paris, where Pere Romeu had worked as a waiter. Art exhibitions, literary and musical performances as well as puppets and shadow were on the program.

Els Quatre Gats in Barcelona was the meeting place for the artists of Modernism, the Catalan form of Art Nouveau. Its most famous representatives were Santiago Rusiñol, Ramon Casas and Miquel Utrillo. Many young artists joined in, such as Pablo Picasso, who produced their first solo shows in February and July of 1900 here. Likewise, Julio González, Pablo Gargallo, Carlos Casagemas and Jaime Sabartés, who were all friends of Picasso. But also a musician and composer Enrique Granados, Isaac Albéniz or Lluís Millet met there. The local artist published in 1899 about 15 numbers an art magazine entitled Quatre Gats.

After Els Quatre Gats was closed in 1903, the building fell into disrepair. After the death of Franco and the subsequent democratization in Spain it was restored and reopened in 1978 as a restaurant.