Joan Busquets

JOAN BUSQUETS I JANÉ (Barcelona, 1874 - 1949).
Pair of modernist armchairs, ca. 1900-1910.
Walnut, mahogany, Hungarian ash, marquetry of 15 fruit woods and mother-of-pearl.
Seat and back upholstered in silk fabric.
Metal plaque from the workshop of Joan Busquets.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use; one of them with a tear in the back fabric.
They need to be reworked.
Measurements: 108 x 62 x 60 cm.

Pair of armchairs representative of Barcelona Modernism of the early 20th century, designed by Joan Busquets, one of the main cabinetmakers and decorators of the period. The pieces are distinguished by an organicist design of sinuous and continuous lines, in which the oval back, the enveloping arms and the openwork crosspieces deliberately eliminate all angularity, reinforcing the formal fluidity characteristic of the modernist language.

The high, pointed backrests, upholstered and slightly open towards the back, accentuate the verticality and provide comfort, while the arched armrests are organically integrated into the structure. The decoration combines geometric marquetry, filleting and mother-of-pearl inlay, discreetly applied to skirts, sides and legs, together with small carved motifs in the form of rosettes and curls, which enrich the ensemble without overloading it.

From the stylistic point of view, these armchairs fully respond to the modernist conception of furniture as a total work of art, integrating structure, ornamentation and function. Their quality and design place them in line with the production of Joan Busquets, which is today conserved in institutions such as the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Güell Palace or the Museum of Catalan Modernism, as well as in outstanding private collections.