Antoni Gaudí

Crypt of the Colonia Güell, Santa Coloma de Cervelló, Barcelona
Eduardo Uhart, Paris
Ben Birillo, New York, acquired from the above, circa 1976
Allan Stone Gallery, New York, acquired from the above in 1982

Gaudi & Busquets, Allan Stone Gallery, New York, November 4-December 20, 1986
Furniture by Gaudi and Busquets, Allan Stone Gallery, New York, September 9-November 26, 1996
Nouveau to Modern: Transitions in Art and Design, Allan Stone Gallery, New York, January 16-March 2, 2013

Le Corbusier, Joaquim Gomis and Joan Prats-Vallès, Gaudi, 1958, Barcelona, pl. 46
James Johnson Sweeney and Josep L. Sert, Antoni Gaudi, London, 1960, pl. 84
Les Sources du XXeme Siècle, exh. cat., Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris, 1961, no. 262
Roberto Pane, Antonio Gaudi, Milan, 1964, p. 197 and pls. 268-269 and 274
Eusebi Casanelles, Antonio Gaudi : A Reappraisal, Barcelona, 1965, p. 102 and pls. XCII and XCIII
Juan Perucho, Gaudi: Una Arquitechtura de Anticipacion, Barcelona, 1967, pls. 13, 27 and 28
Cesar Martinell, Gaudi: Su Vida, Su Theora, Su Obra, Barcelona, 1967, p. 149
Joan Bergos Masso, Gaudi. El hombre y la Obra, Barcelona, 1974, p. 87
Riccardo Dalisi, Gaudi Furniture and Objects, New York, 1979, pp. 79-85 (for the drawings of the bench)
Joan Bassedoga Nonell, El Gran Gaudi, Sabadell, 1989, p. 373
Gabriele Fahr-Becker, L'Art Nouveau, Cologne, 1998, p. 197
Joan Bargos, Gaudi the Man and his Work, Boston, New York, London, 1999, pp. 218-223
J. Padro Margo, Colonia Güell. Industria, Arquitectura y Sociedad, Barcelona, 2002, p. 61
Ignasi de Solà-Morales, Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, 2003, pp. 132-133

Overall in very good condition. The wood present with a rich brown color and a smooth surface that contrast beautifully with the dynamic forms and beautifully carved details. The surface of the bench has been recently sensitively restored to reveal the original finish of the wood. The entire wood surface with some surface scratches, abrasions and a few scattered old restorations consistent with age and gentle use. The wood of the seat and back presents with a few minor crazing consistent with the ageing of the wood. One minor crack to the proper left edge, only visible upon close inspection and which does not affect the stability of the piece. The proper left back edge of the back seat with a minor separation between the joints, which does not affect the strength of the back rest and not at all visually distractive. The back edge of the seat presents with a wonderfully dynamic undulating motif. The proper left side with a minor lifting in the wood over ½ x ¼ in., only visible upon close inspection. The metal portions present with fluid and dynamic lines imparting the bench with great dynamism. The metal surfaces has been relaquered at some point in the history of the piece, and presents with a few surface scratches, edge abrasions and minor losses to the lacquer consistent with age and gentle use. The proper left junction of the base is missing one screw, which does not affect the solidity of the bench. The oak of the feet present with a black color consistent with the natural ageing of the piece. A design icon that encapsulates Gaudi’s vision. ---
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This bench forms part of a group of twenty pieces designed by Catalán architect Antoni Gaudí for the crypt of the church of the Colonia Güell. Constructed between 1908 and 1916 in Santa María de Cervelló, a province of Barcelona, the Colonia Güell was commissioned by Gaudí’s great patron Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi as a residential space for his textile factory workers.

A receipt from the period, conserved in the Museu Diocesá of Barcelona and signed by Gaudí himself, demonstrates that the carpenter Tomàs Bernat was entrusted with the creation of these twenty benches from April 1913 to April 1914. Since 1989, further investigations in the Colonia Güell by Manuel Medarde and Marià Marín using archeological field methodology has revealed precious details about the physical and technical characteristics of the benches.

Thanks to their research we know that recycled materials were used as part of the creative process. Much of the wood was taken from the crates shipped from England containing the machinery for the textile factory. Additionally, the steel armatures were repurposed from the straps wrapped around bales of cotton imported from Egypt and the United States, among other examples. These are pieces of furniture conceived in accordance with the most rigorous standards of economy and efficiency and, as such, they meld organically and symbolically with the pragmatic ideals of Eusebi Güell’s industry.

In their extreme lack of ornamentation, the crypt’s liturgical furniture is already free of the “crime” stigmatized by Adolf Loos in the modern architect and theorist’s groundbreaking 1910 lecture denouncing ornament in art. In their radical functionality, they also anticipate Le Corbusier’s proclamation that “a chair is not an artwork” but “a thing to sit on.”

Going one step further, Gaudí decided to introduce in these benches a dose of discomfort and rigidity sufficient to prevent parishioners from falling asleep during the service, which he confessed he had also done for a bench in the Sagrada Familia. Conceived as a seat for parishioners with the most severe ergonomics and austere rationalism in mind, these microarchitectures of recycled steel and wood demonstrate Gaudí is a true master of vanguards and a pioneer of design of the twentieth century.

The final five benches on Bernat’s receipts were constructed, not from the oak from the shipping crates, but from hardwood left over from other works in the Colonia Güell. The present lot is made of olive wood and belongs to this final consignment that was delivered in April 1914. It is one of the only three original benches of the crypt currently in the hands of private owners. The location of the remaining 20 liturgical benches that are considered authentic is as follows:

Of the twenty remaining liturgical benches, thirteen are in the Museu Diocesà de Barcelona, one at the Casa Museu de Gaudi, Barcelona, another in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, one in the Museum of Modern Art, New York and one in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris from the collection of Kiki and Pedro Uhart.  Three examples of the model have been offered at auction: Sotheby’s New York, March 30 1979, lot 803, Christie's New York, December 19, 2013, lot 13, and Sotheby’s, Paris, May 25 2011, lot 11.

– Antonio Sama, Doctor in History of Art, Complutense University, Madrid