THE COLLECTION IN A BITE

One weekend a month, Amics visit the Museum’s galleries to taste the works in the collection, guided by our collaborators.

Led by Martí Casas i Payàs, journalist and art historian.

Wine has been a fundamental foodstuff of Western civilisations and one of the most highly valued commodities in trade. At the end of the 20th century, the most prized fruit of the vine would remain a staple of the diet, but in the most refined circles throughout Europe, other spirits would begin to gain popularity, eventually overshadowing it in certain spaces and moments of leisure. These included liqueurs, distilled spirits and also some varieties of wine, such as champagne, which would be presented as symbols of glamour, distinction and good taste in the posters through which their manufacturers advertised them. Alcohol has always been associated with revelry and merriment, but its effects can also be sordid and terrible. Through this visit, held in the midst of the grape harvest season, we will discover what image of alcoholic beverages is offered by the works in the Museum’s modern art collection.

Image: Ricard Opisso. Gran Cafe Restaurant Tibidavo, 1902. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.