The seventy-two original drawings in our collection, which are now on display, form part of the total of seventy-nine that appear in the afore-mentioned book, seven of which are currently in private collections.

Liliana was published at Christmas 1907, by Oliva of Vilanova, the great master of graphic Modernisme. In 1911 the poem was adapted for the theatre by Apel·les Mestres himself. The premiere of Liliana took place on the night of July 9th of that year in the Palau de Belles Arts as part of the various events organised for the Sixth International Art Exhibition, held in Barcelona. Enric Granados put it to music; the sets were made by set designers Miquel Moragas, Maurici Vilomara and Salvador Alarma; the costumes were designed by Apel·les Mestres himself, and years later they were also used for his play La Viola d?Or.

Both the poem and the stage play are magnificent examples of the artist?s desire to try and create total art. Furthermore, his concept of life and love of nature make him topical now with regard to making us realise how important it is for mankind to urgently conserve all our natural surroundings. Through Liliana we can delve into the secrets of the forest and the most profound feelings of the small beings that inhabit it. The symbols and messages, as valid now as they were then, the evil of man who destroys everything, the goodness, strength and sensitivity represented by the three gnomes, the grace and beauty of Liliana, and the love that she inspires are a song of hope, a point of reflection to lead us to get to know and love nature and above all to take care, now more than ever, of its conservation and equilibrium.