October 17, 2025

By Ferran Garcés

In almost all the articles we have written from the modernist period, we have talked about the Artistic Circle of Sant Lluc. It was inevitable: the time -and the figure of Gaudí- are deeply related to this institution. Its historical members include artists who marked the cultural identity of the city, as well as the personal life and works of the architect, since some were also friends and/or co-workers. Other clients, such as the Figueras family, the first owners of Torre Bellesguard, and Lluís Graner, painter and theatrical entrepreneur who commissioned a villa very close to this house, as well as a cinema, now disappeared, where religious shows were screened (see: the Graner chalet and the Mercè Room).

Such a peculiar entity was born in 1883 as a result of a split in the Cercle Artístic de Barcelona, founded a little earlier, in 1881, and immediately identified with the liberal, bohemian and anticlerical tendencies. It seems that the division took place after a couple of parties with an “immoral” ending (1). These indecorous ones were, among others, Ramón Casas and Pablo Picasso. In opposition to them, the Cercle de Sant Lluc brought together the most conservative artists with a Catholic vision, and, at the same time, Catalanist, inspired by the ideas of Bishop Josep Torras i Bages, one of the most influential personalities of his time and, of course, also a friend of Gaudí (2) A good number of religious works of modernist Barcelona were then managed between members of this entity (3).

We have chosen today to remember the Circle because on October 18 the festival of Saint Luc is celebrated, the patron of the institution. A very special saint. He was the author of the Gospel that bears his name and of the Acts of the Apostles, another influential book of Christianity. Tradition represents him by writing his books or by portraying the Virgin Mary, so that he was, at the same time, a writer and painter. As such, he has become patron of artists The name for the Circle of Gaudí seems, therefore, correct. Similar associations with the same name were also founded in other European cities. Next, we show a representative picture of the iconography of Saint Luke, although, according to the author and the time, this tradition has been interpreted in many different ways (see: paintings of Saint Luke).

The Circle of San Lluc

Giorgio Vasari as Saint Luke painting the Virgin”, 1565. Source: Wikipedia. The bull at one end of the painting is the traditional symbol of San Lluc as an evangelist.

At first it was “Círcol”, not “circle”

When the circle was born in 1893, its name was deliberately archaic, so that, instead of “Artistic Circle of San Lluc”, its founders decided that it would be “Círcol de Sant Lluch”. Thus we see written in a couple of historical posters. The first is by Joan Llimona, a painter specializing in religious art and one of the founders.

Poster of the Exhibition of the Círcol de St. Lluch” in 1897. Author: Joan Llimona.

The second poster is by Alexandre de Riquer, a multifaceted Catalan artist who became one of the most important figures of modernism and stood out, especially, as a graphic designer. Together with Joan Llimona, he was another of the founding partners. He was an exciting advocate of the ideal of the former guilds of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood that he knew personally during a trip to England. At the entrance of the current seat of the circle, a stained glass window inspired by this poster stands out.

Poster year 1899 of the fourth exhibition of the Círcol de Sant Lluch. Author: Alexandre de Riquer. Source: MNAC Collection, National Art Museum of Catalonia.

Glass window at the entrance of the Cercle de Sant Lluc. Photo author: Juan María Pérez Samper. Source: La Vanguardia.

A well- Gaudinian “Círcol”

The “Círcol” was founded by different artists and personalities of the time that often appear in any biography of Gaudí. The first of them was Joan Llimona, the author of one of the posters we have seen before and, perhaps, the most active personality of the entity (4). He was so friendly to Gaudí that he was the only artist to get the architect, of natural reserve, to come to be a model in two paintings and, in addition, to figure as a saint (see: St. Felip Neri). The brother, Josep Llimona, collaborated with Gaudí in the Monumental Rosary of the Monastery of Montserrat, sculpting the Risen Christ. Other members of the “Círcol” related to the teacher were:

  • Joan Rubió i Bellver. Collaborating architect of Gaudí. He was responsible for managing the work of the Bellesguard viaduct and one of the presidents of the “Circol” (see: Joan Rubió) He also accompanied Gaudí to Palma de Mallorca to carry out his restoration.
  • Ricard Opisso. Great graphic chronicler of the city that began to work with Gaudí in the Sagrada Familia, where he surprised the master with quick drawings of various everyday scenes (see: the first portraits of Gaudí) The first exhibition of his drawings took place in 1900, the year Gaudí began Torre Bellesguard. A few years later, he distanced himself from the entity with the aim of following other aesthetic stimuli, but without separating completely (5) The proof that he maintained some kind of contact is that that fateful June 10 he was in charge of posturing the portrait of the architect, already agonizing. Only another artist will have the same privilege: Joaquim Renart, modernist painter and a president of the “Círcol” (see: the last portraits of Gaudí).
  • Lluís Milet. Music composer very friendly to Gaudí, so much so that he appears with him in different photographs (see, again: the last portraits). Both shared different musical activities, such as a Gregorian singing course and the first concert of Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the Orfeó Català (see: Return to Gaudí’s “Mediterranean” origin and humour).
  • Josep Ràfols i Fontanals. Architect and historian of Catalan art. He entered the “Círcol” when he was very young. He was the first biographer of Gaudí, with a book written in 1828, as well as the first person to occupy the Royal Gaudí Chair, between 1956 and 1960.
  • Joan Miró. One of the best known Catalan painters. Like Ràfols, he entered the “Círcol” very young but, unlike him, despite agreeing with Gaudí, Miró, at first, did not personally connect with the architect. However, in later years, Miró would always express a great admiration for Gaudí’s work (6)

As we said, it is difficult to talk about Gaudí without mentioning the “Círcol”, at one time or another. However, the most outstanding connection is, as we have already said, the figure of Bishop Torras i Bages, the main ideologue behind the “Círcol” and one of the architect’s spiritual mentors. In fact, “Gaudí will not enter the Circle until 1899, when the influence of Dr. Torras i Bages on the architect has become notorious and growing”, as Armand Puig i Tàrrech (7)

Gaudí’s relationship with the philions, the name of the members of the “Círcol”, will be profound and continuous, until his death. Significantly, the last photograph of Gaudí -and one of the best known- has again, in the “Círcol” as a backdrop. In this photograph we see Gaudí as part of a procession of the Corpus Christi with other people. They are all members of the “Círcol”. The standard behind Gaudí is that of the association and had been designed by Alexandre de Riquer, the author of the poster that serves as a model for the stained-glass window of the hall of the current headquarters.

Antoni Gaudí in the procession of Corpus Cristi, 11-06-1924. Author: unknown. Source: National Archive of Catalonia

The “Círcol” today

The Cercle de Sant Lluc has often changed direction, although it has always been located in the Gothic Quarter, that is, in the heart of Barcelona. Casuality or coincidence, the original headquarters was in the call street, the same of the first studio of Gaudí, just licensed.

For a time it was in the rooms on top of Els 4 Gats, the best known bar-restaurant in modernist Barcelona. Currently, it is very close to the cathedral of Barcelona, in a venue worthy of its past, the Bassols Palace, also known as the Palau Mercaders.

After a period of splendour, it had to close its doors during the Civil War and much of the Franco dictatorship. Fortunately, in the 1950s, he reopened his workshops. In the new headquarters, it offers drawing sessions, the traditional activity of the entity, engraving, sculpture and photography. The offer is extended with spaces for exhibitions, debates and other courses. It is also worth remembering the uniqueness of its library, which houses a very rich collection of modernist magazines from all over the world, such as Le Japon artistique, Jugend, The Studio or premises, such as Hispania and Pèl & Ploma.

In short, founded in 1893, to bring together the conservative artists of modernism, over time it has adapted to social and cultural changes as a result of it, so that its history is a window to Catalan culture and society. In recent times, he has been awarded prestigious prizes such as the Creu de Sant Jordi of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Gold Medal for Cultural Merit of the Barcelona City Council or the ACCA Prize of the guild of art critics.

Notes

(1) Hughes, Robert (1992), Barcelona, Anagrama, Barcelona, pp. 618-620

See also: Van Hensbergen, Gijs (2002), Antoní Gaudí, Plaza & Janés, Debolsillo, pp. 148-149.

(2) Crispi, Marta (coordinator), 2016, Torras i Bages. Man of Eternity. 1846-1916, Bishopric of Vic, p. 165-209

See also: Hughes, Robert, Op. cit., pp. 619-621

(3) Hughes, Robert. Op. cit., 621-622

(4) Bracons Clapés, Josep, “Joan Llimona i els artistes del Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluch”, website of the Catalan Encyclopedia

(5) Cadena, Josep M. (1986) Gent nostra: Opisso, Edicions de Nou Art Thor, Barcelona, pp. 15-23

(6) Boix, Antonio, “Joan Mirò in the Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc, 1913-1918. A Novecentist Influence”, blog General Contemporary Art.

See also: Joan Miró. Gaudí Series, Miró Foundation blog

(7) Puig i Tàrrech, Armand (2024), Antoni Gaudí. Life and work, ed. Pòrtic, Barcelona, p. 142-143