The Museu Nacional d´Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is preparing an exhibition to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ramon Casas (1866-1932). The show will bring to light an interesting series of previously unseen visual works by the artist.
This exceptional collection of works by Casas that is conserved by the museum has recently been enriched by a very original, strange and unique addition: a series of 12 Chinese shadow puppets designed by Casas and cut and made by Josep Meifrèn, brother of the painter Eliseu Meifrèn and member of the circle of friends of Els Quatre Gats. This is a unique collection of its kind that establishes a clear relationship with modernity.
The exhibition will also include other visual elements such as posters, photographs, drawings, invitations and programmes, many of which have never been seen before and form part of the museum´s collection. All this artistic and documentary material will help to contextualise the origins of the recreational practices that symbolised the need for escape that Barcelona artists felt at the time, such as Chinese shadows, puppet shows or an interest in the circus.