Catalan Museums Show Wine's Deep Cultural Roots

Art museums across Catalonia, including Barcelona's National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Tàpies Museum, and the Miró Foundation, frequently feature works containing elements related to wine. These range from sculpted grapes on Romanesque capitals to Baroque still lifes, early 20th-century depictions of revelry, and avant-garde wine bottles deconstructed by Cubism, according to an article from VilaWeb.

The enduring presence of wine as a cultural icon, transcending its role as a mere food item, is a central theme in Mediterranean culture. Eduard Puig i Vayreda (Figueres, 1842-2018), an oenologist and professor at the University of Girona, extensively documented this connection. In his book, El jardí de Dionís (The Garden of Dionysus), published shortly before his death, Puig i Vayreda compiled his knowledge on wine culture. An earlier, more concise work, La cultura del vi (The Culture of Wine), served as a precursor, explaining why wine is fundamental to Mediterranean heritage.

Puig i Vayreda defined wine culture broadly as "the set of myths, traditions, knowledge (historical, scientific), works of artistic creation (plastic, literary) and forms of life (food, leisure) that, around this product, have been accumulated by peoples who have as their distinctive and characteristic drink that which comes from the fermented juice of the fruit of the vine." He added that wine is intimately linked, at least in its origins, to the tradition of Mediterranean peoples and their wide area of influence.

Ancient Origins and Divine Connections

The culture of wine dates back to ancient times, initially considered a magical drink associated with immortality and thus attributed a divine origin. In classical Greece, Dionysus, son of Zeus, was the god of wine. Puig i Vayreda wrote that Dionysus not only gave vines to humans and spread the virtues of wine but was also "the protector of the arts, the inspiring spirit, the symbol of reborn vegetation and fertility, the god of creative intoxication."

He also noted that over time, the mystery of wine, its nebulous origins, and its magical effects, captivated countless artists. Their imagination, sensitivity, and perception helped build the subtle idea that wine possesses a spirit, a soul reflected in artworks that take it as their subject.

Catalan.News highlights five significant artworks across Catalan museums that use wine culture as an artistic icon, along with a foundational bonus piece.

Wine in Art: Notable Works

Still Life with Apples, Grapes, Melons, Bread, Jug and Bottle (1771) by Luis Egidio Maléndez, housed at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, is a splendid Baroque still life. The museum describes its meticulous detail, reflecting the painter's focus on natural observation and faithful reproduction, without symbolic intent. This style aligned with the enlightened spirit of Charles III's Spain.

Resting Bacchante (1887) by Joaquim Sorolla, displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia, explores wine as a divine element. Bacchantes, priestesses of Bacchus, were a common motif in academic tradition, allowing for realistic depictions of the female nude within moral boundaries. Experts suggest Sorolla may have aimed to soften accusations of vulgarity from the Valencia Provincial Council regarding his early nude works.

Café Scene (1901-1908) by Manolo Hugué, found at the Museum of Modern Art in Ceret, shows the café as a social space connected to wine culture. Hugué, born in Barcelona in 1872, had a difficult childhood and youth. He became involved with the bohemian art scene around Els Quatre Gats, meeting Picasso and other artists. Influenced by Picasso, he moved to Paris in 1900, spending a decade there. Though he produced few pieces, he developed his artistic style by visiting museums and befriending figures like symbolist poet Jean Moréas. Hugué settled in Ceret in 1910 due to poor health.

Described as an anti-modern artist caught between modernity and the past, Hugué was respected by leading avant-garde figures. The rural, wine-producing landscape of Vallespir deeply influenced him. While he did not sculpt many direct wine images, much of his work depicts the rural world and a rustic connection to the land, featuring rounded, sensual women with scarves, simple and serene. The Museum of Modern Art in Ceret preserves a portion of his work.

Surrealism and Festive Scenes

The Wine Bottle (1924) by Joan Miró, at the Joan Miró Foundation in Barcelona, is a significant piece in Miró's career. According to the catalogue raisonné, Miró moved to Paris in 1920, engaging with the artistic and literary avant-garde. Four years later, the Manifeste du surréalisme was published, a foundational text for the Surrealist group, which Miró initially joined. The Wine Bottle shows the Surrealists' emphasis on the subconscious and the artistic possibilities of automatic methods, based on imagination and free association.

At a time when Miró questioned pictorial language, this work evokes Mont-roig, the place where he decided to become a painter despite his father's opposition. This piece shows his lasting connection to the landscape and the land. The Wine Bottle represents Surrealism evoking Mont-roig del Camp.

Musicians of Dancers (1957) by Pablo Picasso, at Es Baluard Museum of Contemporary Art in Palma, is a curious plate made by Picasso during his Vallauris period, when he worked intensely with ceramics. This piece does not reference bullfighting but instead shows a festive scene with musicians and dancers. A notable feature is the porró, a traditional Catalan wine pitcher, placed almost in the centre of the scene. Picasso was known for his interest in porrons, using them for wine at his table and for water in his studio. This singular, magnificently designed piece appears in this and many other works.

The Foundational Piece

As a bonus, the Seeds of Vitis vinifera (7th century BC) are exhibited at VINSEUM, the Museum of Wine Cultures of Catalonia, in Vilafranca del Penedès. This museum is the quintessential space for understanding the concept of wine culture discussed by Eduard Puig i Vayreda. The entire museum, which reopened a year ago in a new building with a renewed museological approach and attractive museography, fully embodies wine culture. The director, Xavier Fornos, was asked to select this piece for its significance.