Josep Pascó i Mensa
Encyclopedia
Josep Pascó i Mensa was a painter, illustrator and designer from Catalonia
, an autonomous community of Spain
, mostly noted for book illustrations and theater set design. He was born in Sant Feliu de Llobregat
in 1855 and died in Barcelona
in 1910. He trained as a painter training at the Escola de la Llotja with Simó Gómez Polo and at the workshop of designer Josep Planella. He began his career as a mural painter but then switched to canvas, mostly landscapes. One of his most original paintings is that of the flag of the Cau Ferrat in Sitges
.
His most distinguished work is in the illustration of books and the design of decorative objects, as well as the design of theater sets, starting early with those for small amateur theater companies.
In 1887, he went to Madrid
, where he worked at the Royal Theater and was then commissioned to decorate the Principe Alfonso Theater stage. In 1896 he went to Mexico
to paint the scenery of the National Theater (since replaced by the Palacio de Bellas Artes
). When he returned to Spain, he decided to focus on theater lighting. He also worked on the decoration of the home of Ramon Casas i Carbó
in Barcelona.
Pascó's illustration work was mostly devoted to magazines such as Arte y Letras (Arts and Letters) and La Ilustració catalana (Catalan Illustration), done under the pseudonym of Brisa. He also produced a number of very notable illustration for scrolls.
Pascó later became a professor at the College of Arts and Industries in Barcelona, and the artistic director of the journal Hispania
. Whilst he was at College of Arts and Industries in Barcelona he worked with Modest Urgell
and he taught the young Joan Miró
before he died in 1910.
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, an autonomous community of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, mostly noted for book illustrations and theater set design. He was born in Sant Feliu de Llobregat
Sant Feliu de Llobregat
Sant Feliu de Llobregat is a city and municipality in Catalonia, Spain, in the province of Barcelona. It is the capital of the comarca of Baix Llobregat, and the see of a Bishopric since June 2005, when the Archbishopric of Barcelona was divided in three....
in 1855 and died in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in 1910. He trained as a painter training at the Escola de la Llotja with Simó Gómez Polo and at the workshop of designer Josep Planella. He began his career as a mural painter but then switched to canvas, mostly landscapes. One of his most original paintings is that of the flag of the Cau Ferrat in Sitges
Sitges
*Church of Sant Bartolomeu i Santa Tecla . It houses two Gothic sepulchres , belonging to the an older church located on the same site...
.
His most distinguished work is in the illustration of books and the design of decorative objects, as well as the design of theater sets, starting early with those for small amateur theater companies.
In 1887, he went to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, where he worked at the Royal Theater and was then commissioned to decorate the Principe Alfonso Theater stage. In 1896 he went to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to paint the scenery of the National Theater (since replaced by the Palacio de Bellas Artes
Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes is the most important cultural center in Mexico City as well as the rest of the country of Mexico...
). When he returned to Spain, he decided to focus on theater lighting. He also worked on the decoration of the home of Ramon Casas i Carbó
Ramon Casas i Carbó
Ramon Casas i Carbó was a Catalan Spanish artist. Living through a turbulent time in the history of his native Barcelona, he was known as a portraitist, sketching and painting the intellectual, economic, and political elite of Barcelona, Paris, Madrid, and beyond; he was also known for his...
in Barcelona.
Pascó's illustration work was mostly devoted to magazines such as Arte y Letras (Arts and Letters) and La Ilustració catalana (Catalan Illustration), done under the pseudonym of Brisa. He also produced a number of very notable illustration for scrolls.
Pascó later became a professor at the College of Arts and Industries in Barcelona, and the artistic director of the journal Hispania
Hispania (journal)
Hispania is a peer-reviewed academic journal and the official journal of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. It is published quarterly by the AATSP and covers Spanish and Portuguese literature, linguistics, and pedagogy...
. Whilst he was at College of Arts and Industries in Barcelona he worked with Modest Urgell
Modest Urgell
Modest Urgell was a Spanish Catalan painter, illustrator, and playwright of comedies. He was educated at the Llotja School, in Barcelona, with Ramon Martí i Alsina and knew Gustave Courbet after a visit to Paris. Though he painted portraits, his prolific body of work is dominated by...
and he taught the young Joan Miró
Joan Miró
Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona.Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride...
before he died in 1910.