{"id":157382,"date":"2025-08-01T10:32:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T08:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bellesguardgaudi.com\/?p=157382"},"modified":"2025-08-05T10:18:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T08:18:47","slug":"eclecticism-the-defeated-rival-of-modernism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bellesguardgaudi.com\/en\/eclecticism-the-defeated-rival-of-modernism\/","title":{"rendered":"Eclecticism, the \u201cdefeated rival\u201d of Modernism…"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ferran Garc\u00e9s<\/p>\n

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“Palau de Justicia de Barcelona”, by Enric Sagnier (1887-1908). Source: Wikipedia<\/p><\/div>\n

Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, architecture was not only \u201cModernist.\u201d In parallel, another style developed that is still awaiting proper reappraisal. It is called eclecticism, a term that is difficult to define. On one hand, because it involves combining different styles from the past. On the other, because it has been little studied and lacks clear references.<\/p>\n

Another paradox of eclecticism lies in the fact that, in practice, its buildings\u2014despite their abundance and monumentality\u2014are seen but not truly looked at. However, in its time, it was highly esteemed. So much so, in fact, that it was used to construct the main public buildings in the great capitals of Europe and cities like Havana…<\/p>\n

In Europe<\/h3>\n

Eclecticism is considered a derivation of historicism, a style with which it shares inspiration from the past, but with different goals. Historicism seeks to imitate historical traditions, while eclecticism aims to create something new by combining diverse elements in a single work. In practice, however, the two styles are easily confused.<\/p>\n

Architect and historian Joan Bassegoda places the origin of eclecticism at the end of the 18th century, specifically during the time of Austrian architect Johann Fisher von Erlach, who proposed the following principles:<\/p>\n