Caravaggio and El Greco at Montserrat (22nd May 2011)

Entrance to the Museum

 Caravaggio's Sant Jeroni penitent (Museu de Montserrat)

Some time ago, the abbey purchased a painting of "Sant Jeroni penitent" by an unknown artist. It was only some time after the sale that the museum realised that this was in fact an original Caravaggio.

The museum at Montserrat contains one of the most impressive collections of art by a monastery, at least within Spain. The ancient archaeological collection was built up considerably by a monk called Bonaventure Umach in the early 20th Century who was a very keen traveller and brought back many items to Montserrat from as far afield as Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Holy Land and other places. 

Many of the paintings from the modern era were bought by an abbot, Fr Marcel, who bought most of these in Rome in the early twenty's. The collections houses the famous Caravaggio, as well as a beautiful painting by El Greco of "Santa Maria penitent". 

The museum itself is found underneath the main squares outside the abbey and monastery buildings, in vaulted rooms where previously some of the novices had their rooms. Considering this is a monastery museum, its collection is already comparable to medium-sized museums in Barcelona or even Madrid. Some of its major pieces are regularly lent to other exhibitions around the country and often abroad too. 

The museum contains many different eras of art. There is a collection of medieval religious relics and triptics, a vast collection of Mesopotamian cuneiform writing tablets and pots, and a very impressive Egyptian collection (including a real mummy, a real sarcophagus and a preserved stuffed crocodile from the Nile).

Egyptian mummy, Museu de Montserrat

From the modern era there are a few Old Masters, but mostly a collection of Catalan and Spanish painters. 

Then we find ourselves in front of a large ornate door with very thick velvet curtains. I don't know if this is simply a display on a wall or whether it leads somewhere else, so I draw back the curtain... and I find myself in the Byzantine era. Great golden chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and endless numbers of orthodox images line the walls. The lighting is turned down and the room is very full of objects and crosses, which makes it a rather surreal experience. 

Bizantine Rooms, Museu de Montserrat, Barcelona

Being in Catalunya, and in a particularly nationalist area of Barcelona, the museum has a great collection of Catalan paintings. Many of these  portray the rural life of Spain from two centuries ago, but many also try to portray different aspects of Catalan society, such as paintings of La Barceloneta, Barcelona's main beach, during more commercial times.

A few artists concentrated largely on people in Catalunya. We see beggars, a young girl knitting, a young woman in the park with her dong, an old wealthy lady and a large man in an opulent office setting. All these show the different social rankings found across the regions. However, another earlier artist concentrated entirely on natural landscapes, with emphasis on water and beaches, whilst another artist was inspired by the small seaside town of Cadaques for most of his paintings. It was also a shock seeing a painting of Sitges' seaside, which is now a bustling commercial and tourist hub, whereas a hundred years ago the beach had no "paseo" or restaurants, just a few boats and old crumbling houses right by the sand.

The museum was a big shock. I had been constantly told of this, but had never thought that there would be such a large and varied collection of art and sculpture, as well as objects and even stuffed animals. Amongst the Avantgarde collection there were various sketches by Dali, as well as a few Picasso small drawings, and a rather impressive Le Corbusier. 

It was certainly well worth the two hours I spent inside. And I oculd very easily go back there, as I got a free entrance pass with my Montserrat worker card! But for a charge of five euros or so, this permanent collection on display, hidden up a mountain, is enough to rival those in Barcelona, simply for its setting, and its contents and long history. 

Le Corbusier, Museu de Montserrat