Pere Cosp

PERE COSP (Barcelona, 1907-2007).
Side table, 40s-50s.
Marble and teak wood.
Measurements: 44 x 105 x 50 cm.

The side table in wood and marble currently on auction is a magnificent example of Pere Cosp's work, bringing together some of the most distinctive features of his production: an architectural conception based on rounded volumes and lines of great solidity, the use of solid wood worked by hand using geometric reliefs that provide depth and visual rhythm, and the combination of noble materials such as wood and dark marble, used to emphasize both the material quality and the sense of permanence. The piece transcends its utilitarian function thanks to its marked sculptural presence, reflecting the balance between craftsmanship, expressive strength and constructive robustness that characterizes Cosp's work and places it among the most representative proposals of Catalan design in the second half of the 20th century.

Pere Cosp was an interior designer and designer from Barcelona. With a mostly self-taught education, Pere Cosp redirected the family craft workshop towards interior design and integral decoration. The profession served him to give free rein to his creative talent, intentionally distanced from the fashions and trends of the time. Proof of that nonconformist and restless personality that defined him are the designs of his furniture, which still today retain an innovative and transgressive spirit. Cosp attended the Escuela de Artes y Bellos Oficios, as well as the perspective classes of Professor Arola. But more important for him was the practical part: entering the family workshop and living closely all the trades that were developed there: gilding, moldings and all kinds of restoration work. He also worked with the furniture maker Alonso and the decorator Parcerises. Pere Cosp was a pioneer in the use of materials that we could call humble, such as pine wood, chipboard, raffia, etc., which with his treatments and uses he elevated in category. He often collaborated with other trades: in the field of metal, he worked with Biosca y Botey and Pere Peronella. In this line of collaborations are his screen feet, wall sconces, outdoor furniture for gardens, an extensive collection of knobs and handles. The decoration of these elements or the final finishing was always done in the workshop. He carried out combinations of great beauty: stone, marble -Torra Passani was the main supplier- mosaic, in collaboration with Bru, glass, Granell, enamel, Morató, lacquers. Over the course of his 50-year career, he transformed a hundred private homes into modern dwellings, often ahead of their time. His personal stamp impregnated every corner of the home: he distributed spaces, designed the furniture and decided even the smallest decorative detail.