Gaspar Homar

GASPAR HOMAR MEZQUIDA (Bunyola, Mallorca, 1870 – Barcelona, 1953).
Modernist sideboard.
Oak, marquetry, and leaded glass.
Measurements: 210 x 218 x 46.5 cm.
A sideboard with a simple and elegant structure, created by the great Catalan cabinetmaker Gaspar Homar. With a fluid design, it subtly combines the straight lines of the front with the gentle curve of the top edge. It features two closed compartments in the lower section, four small drawers, two shelves, and a small cabinet. The handles are made of bronze. The central panel is adorned with marquetry depicting dancing nymphs. Their graceful movements and the fluidity of their flowing garments, which blend into the garden foliage, follow typical Modernist principles. The scene is flanked by leaded-glass designs, featuring a geometric pattern that is a hallmark of Gaspar Homar’s work, as it contrasts with—yet harmonizes with—the organic, figurative motifs. It was characteristic of Gaspar Homar’s work to combine elements of organic Modernism and geometric stylization within a single piece of furniture.
A Modernist cabinetmaker and decorator, Gaspar Homar began his training at the Escuela de La Lonja in Barcelona, then went on to expand his knowledge in the workshop of cabinetmaker Francesc Vidal, who had also been his father’s teacher. In 1893, just ten years later, the two opened their own shop in Barcelona under the name P. Homar e Hijo. Two years later, his father died, leaving Gaspar in charge of the workshop. Throughout his prolific career, he participated in exhibitions in London, Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, and Paris, and served on the jury for the 1908 Venice Biennale. Homar began his career within the Neo-Gothic movement but soon specialized in Modernism, the style in which he produced his finest works until 1918, after which he turned to the production of conventional furniture. During these years, he collaborated with Sebastià Junyent, Joan Carreres, and Josep Pey Farriol on the design of furniture and entire rooms, featuring exquisitely rich designs, figurative marquetry on ceiling panels and furniture—which became his hallmark—and more. He incorporated exotic woods such as sycamore, plane tree, mahogany, and rosewood. His work—which included both ornamental pieces (chests, umbrella stands, etc.) and functional items like beds, wardrobes, and chairs—was highly acclaimed. His best-known works include the complete interior decoration of the Lleó-Morera (1904), Navàs, and Burés houses, as well as several buildings by Gaudí and Doménech i Montaner. He also received, among other awards, the Grand Prize for Furniture and Decoration at the 1907 London Exhibition, the Grand Prize, Gold Medal, and Grand Cup at the Esposizione Internazionale Industria-Lavoro Arte Decorativa in Venice (1908), and the Grand Prize at the 1909 International Exhibition of Modern Comfort in Paris. Today, pieces of furniture by Gaspar Homar are preserved at the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Casa Lis Museum of Art Nouveau and Art Deco in Salamanca, and the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid, among others.