Barcelona 1917: The medal at the Exposition d’Arts Français. The legacy in the museum’s collections
Barcelona 1917: The medal at the Exposition d’Arts Français. The legacy in the museum’s collections
The outbreak of the Great War (1914-1918) left Paris, Europe's main artistic centre, without its famous art exhibitions and with some of its artists settled in neutral countries. Spain was one such country, although, in practice, it was divided between those who sympathised with the Germans and the allies. The allied sympathisers achieved an extraordinary cultural diplomatic victory by having a French art exhibition organised in Barcelona, hosting and replacing those suspended in Paris. It was opened on 23 April 1917 at the Palau de Belles Arts, or Palace of Fine Arts, and included medals amongst the different sections. Two hundred pieces of all great medallists of the time were displayed. At the end, the Museum's Board, in the consolidated tradition of previous shows like that of 1911, acquired only 9 pieces, due in part to the blockage of the German sympathisers within the institution. These are the pieces now displayed as a legacy of the Exhibition.