Catalan Modernism: Aesthetic Revolution and Social Transformation

The Catalan Modernism movement, flourishing at the turn of the 20th century, represented a profound shift in art, literature, and social thought. It sought to redefine Catalan culture and challenge the conservative norms of the era.

Core Characteristics of Modernist Art

Its main characteristics are the pursuit of musicality, the presence of nature and allusions to the senses, and the search for the ideal of beauty, especially in formal aspects, to escape a hostile reality. The artist is considered a true bohemian, living an existence focused on pleasure and beauty, far from everyday obligations.

Social and Political Context in Catalonia

In Catalonia, Modernism has a special meaning because it acquires a reformist and revolutionary character. Its goal was not only to modernize, but also to stand in contrast to a stagnant and outdated society. Thus, Modernism became a transformative tool, integrated into the social reality. The main objective was to position Catalan culture within Europe. It also showed a reaction against the aesthetics and approaches of the Renaixença (Catalan Renaissance).

The Bourgeoisie and the Artist's Vocation

Modernism is explained, in part, by the changing situation of Catalan society in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Industrialization had generated a strong bourgeoisie, economically and ideologically conservative. Some members of this class, children of the previous generation, rejected commerce and leaned toward the literary arts, manifesting a drive for modernization and a will to oppose their fathers. The choice of art as a profession meant presenting it as a worthy activity and resulting in a vocation: bourgeois materialism was contrasted with the idealism of the artist who conceived of art as an inner necessity, without expecting compensation. Therefore, Modernism proposed a new relationship between the artist and society.

The Modernist Novel and Literary Innovation

The Modernist novel aimed to overcome the lack of a strong tradition in this genre and attempted to find a suitable and effective narrative technique and language. Partially rejecting the realistic aesthetic, it recreated vague and suggestive environments, presented individuals with rebellious wills, and offered a world of symbols defining the adverse reality surrounding the character.

Key Subgenres of Modernist Fiction

Specifically, in the field of fiction, the rural novel stands out, showing man confronted with nature and presenting ethical concerns related to the Modernist interrelationship between humanity and the environment. Moreover, the movement included the decadent novel (focused on the reproduction of reality's effects on the artist) and the novel of manners, which provided a portrait of society at the time.

Some of the most representative modernist novels are Solitud (Loneliness) by Víctor Català, and Els sots feréstecs (The Wild Hollows) by Raimon Casellas.