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Furniture in Gaudi's Work:
General information:
Most of Gaudí’s work was
architectural, but even though he dedicated himself most strongly to
this art, he also applie d his genius to comparatively more prosaic
arts like furniture and decorative elements for the various houses
and buildings he constructed.
Even though furniture and
decorative arts deteriorate once past their prime, the come into and
frequently stay in the hands of collectors or museums. In Gaudí’s
case, we have been able to preserve a substantial part of his work,
allowing us to have an idea of the importance Gaudí attached to this
particular art. Here, we will discuss his surviving works, grouped
according to the buildings for which they were originally designed.
The list below is fairly
comprehensive. It is ordered chronologically, allowing us to
observe the evolution toward simplicity, from his first flamboyantly
sumptuous furnishings for the Sobrellano chapel and the Palau Güell
to the more functional furniture for Casa Batlló.
One design aspect to keep in mind
is Gaudí’s use of iron, more as a structural element than a
decorative one, but often both aspects overlapped. From the very
beginning, Gaudí applied standards of rationality, comfort, and
sturdiness to furniture he designed. This was one way in which
Gaudí was influenced by the medievalist French architect
Viollet-le-Duc. His pupils’ notes recount the demonstrations Gaudí
made them attend to test the comfort of a bench or chair, adapting
it as much as possible to human measures and anatomy (in effect
designing very early ergonomic furniture).
Despite the abundant examples of
Gaudiesque furniture, David Ferrer in his book Gaudí points
out that each individual piece was usually blended with other types
of furniture, following the bourgeois fashion of the time. Having
pieces of furniture that bore absolutely no relationship to each
other created a much sought-after species of disorder.
Inventory of Gaudi Furnishings:
The following chronological list
helps to understand the evolution of Gaudí’s furnishings.
Gaudi's First Piece of Furniture:
The first known work is Gaudí’s own
drafting table. It was an impressive piece of carpentry supposedly
built in 1878 and destroyed during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The upper body consisted of a rolltop covering and had a crossbar
giving structure to the unit. Two grandiose cavities on the sides
served as drawers. The whole ensemble was supported by four legs
very slight for the general mass of the piece. It was decorated
with animal and vegetable motifs in relief.
Glass display Case for the Eduard Comella Glove
Factiry at the Paris World's Fair (1878):
This case was quite original,
especially when compared to usual showcases of the time, which were
designed simply as conventional shopfront windows. Instead, Gaudí
created a glass case set upon a parquet platform of inlaid wood
which viewers could walk all the way around, giving them a more
complete look at the material inside, which was protected by a type
of little glass chapel. This piece was quite costly (40,000
reales), but it enjoyed great success at the Fair, winning a silver
medal.
It seems that the friendship
between Eusebi Güell and Gaudí arose from the impression this case
made on Güell during his visit to the Fair; as a result, Güell
commissioned Gaudí to design the furniture for the Pantheon of the
Sobrellano Palace.
Decoration of the Gibert
Pharmacy (1879):
Unfortunately, the building in
which the pharmacy was located at No. 4 Passeig de Gràcia in
Barcelona was torn down in 1895. All that remains of Gaudí’s
influence there is a photograph.
Furniture for the
Pantheon of the Sobrellano Palace
(1880):
-
Walnut church pews

- Ceremonial chair of walnut,
metal, and velvet
- Kneeler of walnut and velvet
- Two walnut stools
These neo-Gothic furnishings were
completed in 1880 at the Puntí Workshop in Barcelona. Today, they
are on display at the Sobrellano Palace in Comillas in the Spanish
province of Cantabria.
Furnishings for the Palau Güell
(1886-1889):
- Chair of wood, iron, and
leather
- Chaise-longue of wood, iron,
and velvet
- Dressing table of wood, iron,
and glass

These extraordinarily original
furnishings were built by F. Vidal in 1888. The completely
asymmetric dressing table stood out for its incredibly modern design
for the time and had a mirror that could pass for avant-garde even
today. It was designed for complete comfort and allowed the user to
have all her beauty implements at hand. In addition, it featured a
small step designed to aid in the putting on of shoes.
Furnishings for the Sagrada Família
(1889):
Wooden furnishings were created at
Joan Munné’s workshops. All pieces date from 1898 unless otherwise
indicated.
- Two wooden armoires for the
sacristy to hold cult objects, destroyed during the Spanish
Civil War - Wooden bench for celebrants
(of Mass)
- Wood and iron church pews
- Wrought iron candelabra

- Candlebox of wood, wrought
iron, copper, and marble
- Wooden armed Bishop’s chair
- Six cast brass candlesticks,
copies of those made for Casa Batlló around 1906
- Wooden confessional
- Wrought iron altar cross
- Wrought iron standing lectern
- Tabletop lectern made of wire
- Various votive lamps of
copper, brass, alabaster, and cut glass, probably made by Gaudí
himself
- Portable wooden pulpit
- Wrought iron triangular
candelabra (tenebrari), circa 1900
The wood furnishing were made in the Joan Munné Workshop. The ensemble is
dated 1898, except some pieces dated separately.
Furnishings for Casa Calvet
(1898-1900):
For the main room, Gaudí designed:
- Six armless chairs of iron and
velvet
- Four tall stools with backs,
of iron and velvet
- Two armchairs
- One three-seat sofa
For the Director’s office:
- One corner stool, of oak
- One oak armchair
- One oak office desk with two
side cavities with two drawers, and two central drawers
For the offices:
- Two uniquely designed wood,
iron, and brass clothes trees/coat racks
- One double bench separated by
a screen
- One mirror

- One pine bookcase
- One pine corner bookcase
- One pine table with two
drawers
For the Conference Room:
- One four-legged, rectangular
oak table
- Four armless oak chairs
- Two armed oak chairs
- One oak couch of 2-3 seats
with arms
All the furnishings were completed
at the Casas i Bardés Workshop in 1901.
Cafè Torino (1902):
Gaudí participated only as a
decorator, and for only part of this work, known as the Arab Room.
He designed the chair rail, which Hermenegild Miralles built. We
have much visual information about the café thanks to the November
15, 1902 issue of Hispania, of which Miralles was editor.
Casa Batlló (1904-1906):
-
One ash drop leaf dining table
- One ash chair
- One ash seamstress’ chair
- One gossip chair formed by
joining two armed chairs such that they share one arm
- One ash couch of three seats
with shared arms
- Various doors, doorframes,
sinks, panels, and shutters for the main floor
All furnishings were created at the
Casas i Baudés Workshops in 1907.
La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
(1905-1906):
-
Various oak door jambs, benches
with boxes,
and armoire finials, created at the Casas i Baudés Workshops in
1910.
- Various brass door jambs and
accessories for doors and furniture cast at the Mañach Foundry
in 1910.
The Palma de Mallorca
Cathedral (1903-1914):
- One folding step kneeler for
the contemplation of the Blessed Sacrament, of polychrome wood, wrought iron, and
felt
- One faldistori of oak,
gilt brass, and leather (small, low bench used by kings and
Popes in the Middle Ages)
- One bell rest (beam supporting
a small, cylindrical brass bell)
- One wood and fabric 12cm
pulpit cover crowned with a bronze globe and cross
- One wooden choir stand with
metal feet
- One oak stool
- One oak and wrought iron bench
for celebrants (of Mass)
These furnishings were completed
from approximately 1904-1908.
F urnishings
for the
Crypt of the Colònia Güell (1898-1916):
-
Oak and wrought iron church
pew, completed in 1914.
Other furniture and decorative
elements attributed to Gaudí include:
- Standard/crest of the Orfeó
Feliuà (1900)
- Interior of the basilica of
Lluc (1908-14)
- Furniture for the monks of
Jesus and Mary
- Altar for Josep Maria
Bocabella
- Dalmases umbrella stand
- Dining table for Sant Feliu de
Codines
- Decorations for the home of
the Marquises de Castelldosrius
- Crest for people from Reus
living in Barcelona dedicated to the Mare de Déu de la
Misericòrdia
- Crest for the locksmiths’
guild
- Bust of Cardinal Torras i
Bages
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