Museu del Modernisme de Barcelona

On Carrer de Balmes in Barcelona’s Eixample, the Museu del Modernisme de Barcelona is devoted to Catalan Modernisme, the region’s Art Nouveau movement. Its collection brings together more than 350 works by 42 artists, including Antoni Gaudí and Ramón Casas. Look for modernista furniture, paintings, sculpture and four stained-glass panels; the intimate galleries put the objects close at hand. Handouts in several languages explain the collection, and a café provides a place to pause over coffee. Plan around an hour for a focused visit.

A collection devoted to Modernisme

The museum focuses on Catalan Modernisme, the Art Nouveau movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its collection includes more than 350 works by 42 artists, among them Antoni Gaudí, Ramón Casas and Joan Busquets.

Paintings, sculpture and decorative arts sit alongside furniture designed by modernista artists. Some of Gaudí’s furniture was made for projects including Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. The museum offers a close look at objects associated with the movement, rather than a survey of Barcelona’s buildings.

Details to look for inside

Take time with the furniture and the four stained-glass panels. A mosaic-style decoration on the lift shaft is another detail to notice. The collection is arranged in intimate rooms, with handouts available in several languages to explain the works.

There is also an exhibition space in the basement, which has hosted temporary exhibitions. A café provides coffee, and a separate room has books on Catalan modernist art. The museum has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, lift and restroom.