Pau Milà i Fontanals (26 December 1810,

Vilafranca del Penedès Vilafranca del Penedès, or simply Vilafranca (), is the capital of the ''comarca'' of the Alt Penedès in Catalonia, Spain. The Spanish spelling of the name, ''Villafranca del Panadés'', is no longer in official use since 1982 (Law 12/1982, of ...

- 16 January 1883, Barcelona) was a Spanish painter, writer and professor; specializing in art history and aesthetics.

Biography

He was born to a prosperous family. They promoted the cultural life of their hometown, including amateur theatrical performances, and his first drawing lessons came from the

scenographer A scenographer or production designer, develops the appearance of a stage design, a TV or movie set, a gaming environment, a trade fair exhibition design or a museum experience exhibition design. The term originated in theater. A scenographer work ...

, ."Llinatge dels Milà de Ferran, de St. Pere Molanta (Olèrdola) fins als germans Milà i Fontanals"
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In the latter half of 1826, they moved to Barcelona. There, he completed his primary education and enrolled at the

Escola de la Llotja The Escola de la Llotja (, "Llotja School"; es, Escuela de la Lonja), officially the Escola d'Arts i Oficis de Barcelona (Barcelona Arts and Crafts School), is an art and design school located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The school took its ...

, in 1833. His short stay there was largely intended as a way of getting a stipend that would allow him to study in Rome. There, he joined with other artists from Catalonia, including

Claudi Lorenzale Claudi Lorenzale i Sugrañes (; 8 December 1814 – 31 March 1889) was a Spanish painter, associated with the German Nazarene movement and local efforts to recover the history of the Catalan region. Biography He was born in Barcelona. H ...

, Pelegrí Clavé and

Manuel Vilar Manuel Vilar i Roca (15 November 1812, Barcelona - 25 November 1860, Mexico City) was a Spanish sculptor, in the Romantic style.Alberto Espinosa, ''La Renovación de la Real Academia de San Carlos: Manuel Vilar y Pelegrín Clavé'', Terranova/r ...

. Their devotion to "purity" in art led to comparisons with the German group known as the Nazarenes. He stayed there until 1841; making visits to Venice, Florence,

Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...

and Siena. The drawings he made are preserved at the

Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi The Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi (, in English "Royal Catalan Academy of Fine Arts of Saint George") is a Catalan art school located in Barcelona. The president is the architect Jordi Bonet i Armengol. The institution was ...

. In 1851, he obtained the title of Professor at the Escola, attached to the architecture department, and he began a campaign to preserve Barcelona's architectural heritage. He held that position for five years, then resigned. In 1861, he was appointed President of the Ateneu Català, a cultural association now known as the . His first major project was in conjunction with the : having the Chapel of Santa Àgata declared a " Bien de Interés Cultural", analyzing its structure (together with

Elies Rogent Elies Rogent i Amat (Barcelona 18 July 1821 – Barcelona 21 February 1897), was a Catalan architect of Spanish nationality. Life and work He studied at the school of Architecture in Madrid, from which he graduated on 20 February 1851. Elies Ro ...

), and beginning restoration. In 1868, the Escola named him an "Honorary Scholar", allowing him to continue his preservation work with the school's support. He was named president of the Comissió in 1877.

Biography

References

Further reading