Surviving the Modernist Paradigm: a fresh approach to the singular art of Anglada-Camarasa, from Symbolism to Abstraction

This thesis deals with the Spanish artist Anglada-Camarasa (Barcelona, 1871- Palma de Mallorca, 1959) during the twenty years he lived in Paris: 1894-1914, when he enjoyed overwhelming international success. Until the 1980s, there was little institutional interest in his work and, hence, a dearth of literature on him. In my thesis I first offer an explanation of this state of affairs and then attempt a re-evaluation of his work. My explanation is articulated within the framework provided by the interpretation of early twentieth-century art history, originated in the 1970s, which emerged as an alternative to the dominating one defended by Modernist Paradigm supporters. In my discussion I situate Anglada's development within the cultural currents of his time and show how he found pictorial solutions to some of the artistic concerns of his contemporaries. Once the origins of the main features of Anglada's technique are firmly grasped, both in relation to subject matter and to pictorial means, it becomes much easier to understand his success, especially among his Russian admirers. Some of these, such as Meyerhold and Diaghilev, who were leading figures of the Russian cultural world and who were well known for their pioneering taste, found inspiration in Anglada's work for their innovations. Against the background of this historical and artistic analysis, I try to demonstrate that Anglada's figurative style influenced also Kandinsky's long transition into Abstraction, especially during the latter's stay in Murnau, before World War I, which constituted his most productive years. My overarching aim in carrying out this original investigation is to locate Anglada in the place he deserves in the beginning of the twentieth-century History of Art. By doing this, I hope not only to contribute to the still much-debated character of this period. But, more importantly, I hope to make Anglada better known, for the beauty of his work that expresses his faith in mankind potential which deserves to be given much closer attention