Jewelled – Carrer Còrsega
Mosaics are quite wonderful, wouldn’t you agree? All those little pieces puzzled together to make a beautiful whole… In Barcelona we are lucky to have many mosaics gracing our buildings – sometimes in a figurative way, others in just a purely decorative manner.
Pomegranate – La Rambla
Most mosaics in Barcelona stem from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, when the Modernisme movement was at its peak. It often used symbolism in its designs, such as the above pomegranate images, as well as Catalan nationalism, as is reflected in the Senyera below.
Senyera – La Rambla
Balcony bases – Carrer de l’Or
Sometimes the mosaic is purely decorative, as it is on the balcony bases in the image above. Pretty isn’t it?
Shop front – Carrer Llibertad
The exterior of a shop selling electric supplies (above) is a gorgeous example of a later application of mosaics when it was used as an advertising form.
Simplicity – Carrer Larrard
The mosaics on Gaudí’s buildings are known all over the world, and are probably the most photographed. But it doesn’t make them any less sublime, even when they are are a mere combination of white tones (below). A neighbouring house has also used mosaics, albeit in a very simple form, to add some prettiness to its fence (above).
Shades of white – Parc Güell
The former bull ring La Monumental was also decorated with mosaics, but in this case, in a Moorish style, with very striking results. Whenever I pass it, I always feel the need to stop for a bit, and admire its incredible beauty.
Today is an important day for those in the US, as people cast their votes to either re-elect Obama or elect Romney as president. But it is also important for the rest of the world, for just like a mosaic, we are all puzzled together to form a larger whole, and therefore, what is decided in one country affects us all. I hope, that people will use their right to vote and chose wisely!
Moorish – Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes
