Gaspar Homar

GASPAR HOMAR (Bunyola, Mallorca, 1870 – Barcelona, 1953).
Set of four Modernist chairs, c. 1900.
Carved fruitwood with marquetry decoration and upholstered seats.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use and slight damage to the marquetry.
Measurements: 100 x 43 x 43 cm (x4).
A highly elegant set that reflects Gaspar Homar’s unique conception of furniture as a decorative piece rather than merely a functional one. These four chairs, with their slender proportions and pronounced verticality, feature openwork backrests topped with small pinnacles, where the marquetry takes center stage. The design combines the lightness of the structure with the ornamental richness of the central panels, where the wood becomes a pictorial surface. The botanical and naturalistic motifs, rendered through delicate marquetry pieces, are integrated into a composition of sinuous lines that recalls how, in Modernism, nature became one of the principal sources of inspiration for the decorative arts.
Gaspar Homar was one of the key figures in the decorative arts of Catalan Modernism. Trained at the La Llotja School in Barcelona and later in the prestigious workshop of Francesc Vidal, he developed his own distinctive style in the late 19th century based on marquetry, carving, and the use of fine woods. After his father’s death in 1895, he took over the family workshop and achieved notable recognition both in Spain and abroad.
His work was closely linked to the major transformation of bourgeois interiors in early 20th-century Barcelona. He collaborated with architects and artists and participated in the decoration of some of Modernism’s most notable buildings, including Casa Lleó Morera, Casa Navàs, and Casa Burés. This set of four chairs is particularly interesting precisely because it preserves the unity of the set, a fundamental aspect of period furniture design. Gaspar Homar is among the leading figures in the decorative arts of Catalan Modernism, and his furniture is now part of major museum collections.