As you know, after Romanticism a Realist political and aesthetical ideology prevailed, receiving different names all over the world (Victorian era in Great Britain). From the 1870’s onward, the ideas that history and civilization were inherently progressive and that progress was always good came under increasing attack, questioning of the axioms of the previous age. This was the seed of Modernism, a wide array of cultural movements derived from deep changes in the Western society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
You have probably heard of Barcelona as the greatest exponent of Modernist architecture in Spain with its ‘Modernisme’. It usually refers to the movements known in other countries as Art Nouveau, Modern Style, Jugendstil, Stile Liberty, Sezessionstil, etc. It is a style derived from the English Arts and Crafts movement, the Pre-Raphaelite movement, the Gothic revival and the Aesthetic Movement (a restrained prelude to Art Nouveau), as well as from Symbolism. It is characterized by the predominance of the curve over the straight line, rich decoration and detail, the frequent use of vegetal and other organic motifs, and the taste for asymmetry and dynamic shapes.
Vigo, my home town, has also a very rich Modernist heritage. Like Antoni Gaudí, architects as Antonio Palacios, Jenaro de la fuente, Manuel Gómez Román and many others were inspired by organic forms handing down to us numerous architectonic treasures.
It is said that Art inspires Art. This is what happened to my partner Irene when she saw this architectonic detail in this building designed by Mr. Jenaro de la Fuente in 1913, located at 28th Urzaiz Street.
The result is this oval pendant made of copper and matt sterling silver, which includes a 17 jewels Phenix watch movement.
