Alexandre Cardunets — “Plaça del Rei, Barcelona” — Lithograph, c. 1930 — Catalan School

Original lithograph by Alexandre Cardunets Cazorla, a draftsman, painter, and engraver closely linked to the depiction of historic and monumental Barcelona during the first decades of the 20th century.

The work depicts the Plaça del Rei in Barcelona, one of the most iconic medieval complexes in the Gothic Quarter. Cardunets reproduces the walls, windows, arches, and historic surrounding structures with great precision through meticulous drawing and a characteristic sepia tone.

Alexandre Cardunets and the graphic memory of Barcelona

Alexandre Cardunets made the streets, churches, courtyards, and historic buildings of Barcelona one of the fundamental pillars of his body of work.

His training as a draftsman and engraver explains the extraordinary attention he pays to architectural details. Rather than a free interpretation of the urban landscape, Cardunets works almost like a visual chronicler, recording the facades, windows, portals, pavements, and structures of the old city.

Around 1930, he created and distributed numerous monumental views of Barcelona via lithography, many of them grouped under the project Barcelona Artística Monumental.

The Plaça del Rei

The print itself identifies the location with the inscription:

“Plaça del Rei. – Barcelona.”

The composition focuses on one of the historical corners of the complex, combining medieval architecture and domestic buildings integrated into the ancient fabric of the city.

The absence of human figures accentuates the absolute prominence of the architecture. Stone walls, Gothic windows, balconies, and different building levels overlap to form an image of great graphic density.

It is also particularly interesting that Cardunets worked on this same motif in painting: a large oil painting of his titled Plaça del Rei, Barcelona, dated 1930, is documented, confirming the artist's specific interest in this corner of the city during that period.

Technical Sheet

• Author: Alexandre Cardunets Cazorla (Barcelona, 1871–Badalona, 1944).
• Title: Plaça del Rei, Barcelona.
• Chronology: c. 1930.
• Technique: Lithograph on paper.
• Dimensions: 37 × 24.5 cm.
• Signature: Signed in the plate “A. Cardunets” in the lower right corner.
• Inscription: “Plaça del Rei. – Barcelona”.
• Edition: Copy without visible numbering.
• Series / context: Related to the monumental views of Barcelona produced by Cardunets around 1930.
• School: Catalan School.
• Style: Urban landscape / historic architecture.
• Subject: Barcelona / Plaça del Rei / Gothic Quarter.
• Period: Catalan art of the first half of the 20th century.
• Provenance: Private collection.
• Condition: Condition consistent with its age. The paper shows an aged tone, small oxidation spots, and occasional foxing, especially visible in the margins.

Studio Note

In this view of the Plaça del Rei, Cardunets constructs the architecture through lines, textures, and volumes. The attention to detail allows one to traverse the different planes of this corner of the Gothic Quarter.