Valencian Art Nouveau

Sanctuary of Holy Maria Magdalena, in Novelda (Alicante).

North Station, in Valencia.

Central Market, in Valencia.

Central Market, in Alicante.

Mercado de Colón, in Valencia.

General Post Office of Valencia.

Palace of the Valencian Regional Exposition, in Valencia, 1908.

Casa del Pavo, in Alcoy (Alicante).

General post office building in Castellón.

Building de Les Cigonyes, in Castellón.

Villaescusa building, in Orihuela (Alicante).

Casa d'Escaló, in Alcoy (Alicante).

Art Nouveau library of the Circulo Industrial de Alcoy, in Alcoy (Alicante).

Casa del Punto de Gancho, in Valencia.

Poster of the Valencian Regional Exhibition of 1909, work of Vicente Climent Navarro.

Valencian Art Nouveau (Spanish for modernismo valenciano, Valencian modernisme valencià), is the historiographic denomination given to an art and literature movement associated with the Art Nouveau in the Valencian Community, in Spain.

Its main form of expression was in architecture, but many other arts were involved (painting, sculpture, etc.), and especially the design and the decorative arts (cabinetmaking, carpentry, forged iron, ceramic tiles, ceramics, etc.), which were particularly important, especially in their role as support to architecture.

Although Art Nouveau was part of a general trend that emerged in Europe around the turn of the 20th century, in the Valencian Community the trend acquired its own unique personality in the context of spectacular urban and industrial development. It is equivalent to a number of other fin de siècle art movements going by the names of Art Nouveau in France and Belgium, Jugendstil in Germany, Sezession in Austria-Hungary, Liberty style in Italy and Modern or Glasgow Style in Scotland.

The Valencian Art Nouveau was active in the Valencian Community from roughly 1899 (art nouveau reform of the Glorieta Park in Alcoy) to 1917. The Modernisme movement in the Valencian Community is best known for its architectural expression, especially in the works of the architects Demetrio Ribes Marco and Francisco Mora Berenguer in Valencia or Vicente Pascual Pastor and Timoteo Briet Montaud in Alcoy, but was also significant in sculpture and painting. Notable art nouveau painters include Fernando Cabrera Cantó, Francisco Laporta Valor, Emilio Sala, Adolfo Morrió and Edmundo Jordá. A notable art nouveau sculptor was Lorenzo Ridaura Gosálbez.

On the other hand, there are several Valencian populations who form part of the Art Nouveau European Route,^[1]an association of local governments and non-governmental institutions for the international promotion and protection of Art Nouveau heritage. It is the case of Alcoy,^[2]Novelda^[3]and Sueca.^[4]

Architecture

Early 20th century architecture in Valencian Community was strongly influenced by European Art Nouveau. The Valencian Art Nouveau takes place in different cities or areas, inside of a context of great industrial, economic and urban development: Alcoy and Valencia, by number of works, will be the main Valencian cities where much more was developed the art nouveau architecture. Novelda, Alicante, Burriana, Castellón de la Plana or Sueca are other cities with important examples of Valencian Art Nouveau architecture.

With Valencian local architects, all of them formed in Barcelona or Madrid and contemporaries to the Catalan Modernism and to the Art Nouveau of Madrid, but that exercised the main part of his career in the Valencian Community, the Valencian Art Nouveau will receive a special architectural relevancy in different Valencian cities.^[5]

The Mercado Central (English: Central Market) in Valencia, one of the largest in Europe, covers more than 8,000 square metres, over two floors, with a predominantly Valencian Art Nouveau style. Its unusual roof comprises original domes and sloping sections at different heights, while the interior seems to be lined in a range of materials such as iron, wood, ceramics and polychromed tiles. The beauty of the building stands out especially on account of the light that enters through the roof at various points, and through coloured window panels.^[6]

The Estación del Norte (English: North Station) is the main railway station in Valencia located in the city centre next to the Plaza de Toros de Valencia. It was declared Good of Cultural Heritage in 1987.

The Mercado de Colón (English: Columbus Market) is a public market located in the city center of Valencia. The building was designed by the Valencian architect Francisco Mora Berenguer between 1914 and 1916. This is a clear example of Valencian Art Nouveau architecture of the early century. It was declared a national monument. It impresses with its extraordinary facade and lavish decor.^[7]

See also

• Art Nouveau in Alcoy

References

Bibliography

• Benito Goerlich, Daniel (1992). Arquitectura modernista valenciana (in Spanish/Valencian). Valencia: Fundación Bancaja. p. 273. ISBN 8487684157.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)

• Benito Goerlich, Daniel (2007). Modernisme en l'arquitectura valenciana (in Valencian). Valencia: Generalitat Valenciana. p. 416. ISBN 9788448246679.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)

• Mestre Martí, María. (2007). La arquitectura del modernismo valenciano en relación con el Jugendstil vienés. 1898-1918. Paralelismos y conexiones.. Universitat Politècnica de València.
• De Soto Arandiga, Concepción. (2012). "Arquitectos y arquitecturas modernistas en la ciudad de Valencia 1900-1915. Valencia ante el modernismo" Real Academia de Cultura Valenciana.
• Colomer Sendra, Vicente (2002). Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de la Comunidad Valenciana, ed. Registro de Arquitectura del Siglo XX en la Comunidad Valenciana (en castellano/valenciano). p. 719. ISBN 84-87233-38-4.
• Doménech Romá, Jorge (2010). Modernismo en Alcoy, su contexto histórico y los oficios artesanales. Editorial Aguaclara. p. 497. ISBN 978-84-613-8233-0.
• Doménech Romá, Jorge (2013). Del Modernismo al Funcionalismo, características y evolución del movimiento modernista, el modernismo en Alcoy y Novelda (casos concretos). Publicaciones de la Universidad de Alicante. p. 224. ISBN 978-84-9717-267-7.
• Jaén i Urban, Gaspar (1999). Instituto de Cultura Juan Gil-Albert, Colegio Territorial de Arquitectos de Alicante, ed. Guía de arquitectura de la provincia de Alicante. p. 311. ISBN 84-7784-353-8.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valencian Art Nouveau.

• "Valencian Art Nouveau". Valencia City Council.
• The Valencian Art Nouveau by Las Provincias
• "Valencia ante el modernismo" by Concepción de Soto Arandiga. RACV
• Alcoy at the Art Nouveau European Route (in English) (in Spanish)